Supreme Court decision on Battir (Betar)

THE MEDIA LINE: Israeli Supreme Court Freezes Barrier Through Battir (Linda Gradstein).

Palestinians and environmentalists claim victory

Israel’s Supreme Court has frozen plans to build the separation barrier that Israel has been building in and around the West Bank, through the village of Battir, a 4000-year Palestinian village next to Jerusalem.

The residents of Battir, along with several Israeli environmental NGO’s, appealed to the court three years ago not to allow the barrier to go through Battir, a Palestinian village of 6500 next to Jerusalem that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of its agricultural terraces that have been used for thousands of years. The petitioners argued that building the barrier in Battir would destroy the terraces, which continue to be used today.

[...]

The court did not close off the future possibility that the Israeli government will ask to build the barrier through Battir. However, the ruling said that if that happens, the state would have to put in a new request, and the environmental groups would then be able to issue new objections, meaning that any new attempt to route the barrier through Battir could drag on for several years.

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Betar was also the site of Bar Kokhba's last stand in 135 CE. Background to this case is here and links.