Tread carefully
Over in Beit El, the sun stood still on Tuesday. There was also no wind. And, mimicking nature, soldiers and teens held a motionless standoff. The security forces sent to Beit El were accused -- by some town crier who was nowhere to be seen -- that they were undermining the efforts to settle the Land of Israel.
But there were no heated exchanges over this matter, simply because it was too hot outside. Meir Dreinoff, the land developer who built the contested structures that were to be demolished, sat nearby and said he was sitting shiva, the week-long mourning period following a death. Over what? Over what he built, or over the settlement enterprise? How will he make a living now? He is financially secure owing to other construction projects, but if he is told he can no longer sell affordable, spacious apartments to the less well-off in Beit El, he may have to throw in the towel: He will go on strike; he will boycott; he will become a pensioner. Despite his protest, he told the youths they should give flowers to the soldiers and police.
But this is not how events unfolded. Things escalated as criticism over Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon grew, and eventually protesters began throwing rocks at the soldiers. The clashes peaked toward the evening, after Education Minister Naftali Bennett leveled unprecedented criticism against the government, the very institution in which he serves as a senior cabinet minister. The settlers felt the wind at their backs.
Dreinoff had been there for days. Back in the day, he played for the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club. He disapproves of the club's conduct, saying he longs for the old Beitar, before its image was tarnished. He became religious after his son had six heart surgeries.
"Silence is golden," his wife tells him. But he continues talking. He is an indefatigable optimist, yet he is always angry. This is just who he is, for now.
A week ago, young squatters arrived at the place, which had been empty for the past five years. Meir Brettler, one of the leaders of the so-called "hilltop youth," was there too on Tuesday. His presence was clearly felt. Last week, the High Court of Justice affirmed its previous ruling, ordering the demolition of the buildings by July 30. Two days ago, GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Numa held a copy of that decision in his hands, awaiting orders to go ahead with the demolition, even though Ya'alon kept working on a compromise to keep the buildings standing as long as possible. Ya'alon was even contemplating a retroactive issuance of permits for the buildings to make Chief Justice Miriam Naor reverse the court's ruling.
Despite Ya'alon's efforts, Numa began preparing for the worst-case scenario, having realized that the protesters were itching for a fight and had already hung on one of the structures a large banner replete with slogans against a territorial compromise in Judea and Samaria. Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, and Numa decided that it would be best to have the IDF go inside than to let the youths hunker down.
Thus, Ya'alon and Eizenkot let Numa's troops take over the structures well ahead of the July 30 deadline. This will allow the demolition to proceed smoothly should the court order remain in effect. All three realized that footage showing Israeli forces forcefully evicting the youths would be particularly damaging to Israel's image abroad.
Israelis remember the 2005 pullout from Gush Katif all too well, as well as the traumatic events a year later, when mounted police essentially ran over protesters at the Amona outpost. But the situation in Beit El is complex. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi), like Ya'alon, would like to keep the buildings standing. But she has had to walk a fine line: On the one hand, if the highest court of the land loses its legitimacy, this will have far-reaching consequences on our society and on Israel's standing in the West. On the other hand, she feels that she cannot afford to share this concern with her constituents.
And then there is Bennett, not to mention fellow Habayit Hayehudi MK Betzalel Smotrich and Likud MK Oren Hazan. Unlike Shaked, those three have acted like bulls in a china shop. Think about this anomalous situation: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ya'alon trying to enforce the law while their fellow coalition members -- MKs and cabinet ministers who sit in the same government --- are trying to undermine them.
It is crucial for Israel's image and for its internal state of affairs that the rule of law prevail. The renegade coalition members have tried to fan the flames from afar and up close. They sent the young protesters to hang accusatory signs against Netanyahu: "You promised, now deliver!" and "We have had enough of the racist High Court of Justice." The signs were everywhere along the road connecting the Tapuach Junction and the outskirts of Jerusalem -- a road that has beautiful scenery, despite the arid conditions. The signs could even be spotted at the entrance to the headquarters of the Judea and Samaria Division.
The crisis surrounding the Dreinoff structures will ultimately be resolved. In fact, this current crisis is unique because there is no question as to who owns the land. The only outstanding issue (as of Tuesday) was largely over the necessary permits. When the other cases come up, things will be much more complicated. The settlers -- backed by some inside the government who want to settle scores with Ya'alon -- have failed to realize that the defense minister is actually serving their cause by upholding the rule of law, an essential component of our collective legal framework. This must be one tough balancing act.
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