The residents of the Ofra settlement are preparing for the evacuation and demolition of nine homes in the community's Givat Tzvi neighborhood by the High Court-stipulated deadline of March 5. The residents of those homes are still hoping the High Court will respond positively to their request that the homes be sealed up rather than razed in light of the recently passed Judea and Samaria Settlement Regulation Law, which could retroactively make the demolition unnecessary. However, there is little chance of the court acquiescing to their request. Meanwhile, out of the eight families who had left their homes (the ninth home slated for demolition is not currently occupied), seven returned on Sunday evening with the intention of remaining there until they are evacuated. The residents are calling on the public to come and express solidarity, but stress that they will not accept any verbal or physical violence toward security forces. "We will not take forceful action and demonstrations of physical or verbal violence toward police and military forces will not be met with understanding. We will defend our homes with dignity and holding our heads high, not with iron rods or rocks," read a message distributed by the Ofra Steering Committee on Sunday, which was signed by the community's rabbi, Avi Gisser. Given concerns that troublesome young people will make their way to Ofra and occupy the ninth home, which has been empty for some time, and that the violent events of the Amona synagogue evacuation may repeat themselves, Border Police moved into the empty house on Sunday. They arrived without advance notice, evacuated several youths who had gathered there, then secured the building. While the youths were being evacuated, one threw a rock at a Border Policeman, wounding him lightly. The Border Policeman was taken to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. Rolls of barbed wire were laid down in some parts of the Givat Tzvi neighborhood on Sunday. Demolition equipment was brought in, and the evacuation is expected to begin by Tuesday at the latest. Givat Tzvi residents were issued access permits, and on Monday, security forces were scheduled to set up roadblocks on the main roads leading to the evacuation site. In response to the arrival of security forces on Sunday, the Ofra Steering Committee is urging demonstrators to reach Ofra by Monday night. One of the people seen in the area on Sunday was Givat Tzvi resident Bitya Falk, who was on her wedding day. Falk chose to be photographed in her wedding dress against the backdrop of the homes slated to be demolished. "She wanted to show, in a clear light of the divine spirit and construction, the absurdity and evil of the demolition. We hope that this wedding will lead to growth and construction, despite the efforts that were spent on destroying the homes," her father, Haim Falk, said.
