“The ruling is the product of a protracted legal battle waged by the community…this is a historic and welcomed ruling,” Regavim stated.

By: United with Israel Staff

An Israeli District Court in Jerusalem on Tuesday set a dramatic legal precedent when it ruled that the Israeli community of Mitzpe Kramim should be legally regulated and that it does not need to be razed because the community was built “in good faith” and with the state’s backing.

The construction in the community was frozen by a court ruling in 2009 following a petition by extreme-left organizations which claimed that the community was situated on private Palestinian land. The court ruled that they failed to produce substantial evidence of their claims, and have yet to reveal who the owner is.

Judge Arnon Darel’s ruling was based on the “market regulation” clause set forth in the Order Concerning Government Property by the Custodian of Government Property and Abandoned Property in Judea and Samaria.

The ruling constitutes a green light for the planning of Mitzpe Kramim, which was established in 1999, and is home to some 40 of families.

The groups opposing the community’s existence plan to petition the High Court of Justice against the ruling.

The court, in its ruling, has essentially granted a first legal precedent for regulating tens of Israeli communities throughout Judea and Samaria.

Regavim, a research-based legal advocacy NGO dedicated to ensuring accountable use of Israel’s national land, welcomed the verdict. “The ruling is the product of a protracted legal battle waged by the community…this is a historic and welcomed ruling.”

They called on Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to apply the principles established in the court’s judgment to other communities in Judea and Samaria, which also require legal regulation.

Israel Ganz, deputy head of the Binyamin Council, called the ruling a “dramatic victory and a defining moment for the young communities.”

Member of Knesset (MK) Mordechai Yogev welcomed the ruling by stating that “there are judges in Jerusalem, sitting in the District Court. Congratulations to Judge Arnon Darel, who in his ruling justified the community of Mitzpe Kramim.”

“This ruling is a gateway which will strengthen the fabric of normal life in Judea and Samaria,” he added.