Barak: Machpelah house eviction order still in effect

"The prime minister’s request was misinterpreted. The order was not withdrawn," a Defense Ministry statement said. "The settlers were given until 3 pm to prove what they need to prove. If they fail, the law will be enforced."

Sources close Barak said that 3 pm deadline should not be regarded as the time when security forces implement the eviction order. "The law will be enforced according to operational considerations," they said. Sources at the prime minister’s bureau estimated that the settlers will be given the time they need but stated that should they fail to prove ownership, the law will be upheld.

Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz visited the Machpelah house in Hebron on Tuesday and expressed his support of its inhabitants. "I am convinced that Jews will continue to inhabit this house. There is no special security situation here. This is not a legal issue," he said.  

He added, "A decision on such a step (eviction) should be made by the government, not by one ministry." On Monday, Katz asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order Defense Minister Ehud Barak not to go ahead with the Civil Administration’s decision to evict the settlers.

Netanyahu complied and asked Barak to delay the eviction and allow the settlers to prove in court that the house was lawfully purchased.

On Monday, the Civil Administration ordered the settlers who moved into the Machpelah house to leave the premises by 3 pm on Tuesday, but Netanyahu asked that they be given more time.

Ynet has learned that the settlers are preparing for a lengthy stay in the house. Baby cribs and mattresses have been placed in the house, indicating that the settlers are expecting to remain in the house for a while. Torah books and children’s toys have also been brought to the house.