Residents of Israeli settlement Evyatar agree to temporary evacuation

“This is not our dream deal,” said Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Residents of the Evyatar community accepted a compromise deal on Wednesday that would see them voluntarily evacuate the community, agreeing to leave by the end of the week.

Located near Nablus (Shechem), the buildings constructed by the settlers will not be demolished. Rather, a temporary IDF base will be created at the settlement, ensuring that the property remains intact.

Meanwhile, the state will look into whether or not Evyatar is built on privately owned land.

If the land is found not to be privately held by Palestinians and is classified as state-owned land, a legalization process will be launched, enabling the establishment of a community yeshiva in the near future and paving the way for the residents to return to their homes.

“This is not our dream deal,” said Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, in a statement.

“It requires us to take difficult steps and leave the site. But we will return once it is determined that the land is state owned. We agreed to the government’s proposal out of concern for settlements [throughout Judea and Samaria] and in order to foster unity in our divided society.

“This community is the justified Zionist response to terror attacks that killed Evyatar Borovsky [whom the town is named for] and Yehuda Guetta, and will grow and thrive.”

Originally created after the slaying of Evyatar Borovsky in 2013 and later cleared out by the IDF, interest in the community was renewed after the shooting death of yeshiva student Yehuda Guetta at the Kfar Tapuach junction in late April 2021.

In early May 2021, 50 families moved to Evyatar and constructed temporary homes and buildings, intending to revitalize the community.

Palestinians from the nearby village of Beita, who violently clashed with the IDF and Evyatar residents in an effort to expel the settlers from the settlement, claim that the hilltop belongs to their village.

So far, they have not provided evidence to support that claim.

Since May 2021, four Palestinians from Beita have been killed during IDF clashes near Evyatar.