Beit Shapira under seige

Late yesterday afternoon the Israeli supreme court ruled that the three families, including some 20 children, must evacuate the recently purchased building, Beit Shapira, by eleven this morning or be forcibly expelled.

The building, named for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak Shapira, who was killed by terrorists at the site during Succot in 2003, was moved into by Hebron families a month ago. Police investigators decided that the sale documents were forged, despite the fact that they have not yet examined the original papers. Yesterday the Supreme court accepted the government's position and ordered that the case be transferred to the Jerusalem 'Shalom' Court, and that in the meantime, the building would remain empty.

Last night the prosecutor's office decided to postpone the planned expulsion until early next week, and received permission for the delay from the court early this morning, during a special court hearing.

Hebron community leaders decided at a late-night meeting to reject the court order to voluntarily leave the building, saying, "this building was purchased for a tremendous amount of money and the sale is 100% legal. The Supreme Court ruling was not based on legal issues, rather for political considerations, which were raised by the state prosecutor during yesterday's hearing. We have no intention to leave the building voluntarily."

Shortly after the meeting a call was issued to Israeli youth to come to Hebron for a special Shabbat, and to remain in the city on Sunday to participate in the struggle for the building. Early this morning people started arriving. Late in the morning police, soldiers and riot-squad officers dressed in black uniforms arrived at the building and declared the entire area a 'closed military zone.' They sealed off the entrance to the site with barriers and barbed wire and announced that only the three families living in the building would be able to come and go. No one else would be allowed inside.

When the doors where shut dozens of people were already inside and vowed not to leave.

At the same time, police began blocking roads on the outskirts of Hebron, stopping busses and refusing to allow them to continue to Hebron.

According to residents of the building, security forces are refusing to allow food for Shabbat and clean clothes to be brought into Beit Shapira.

Hebron-Kiryat Arba residents plan on participating in special Shabbat prayers near the building, while continuing to work to stop next week's planned expulsion.

It should be noted that three months ago nine Hebron families and a Torah study hall voluntarily left their homes in the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood following conclusion of an agreement with the army, whereby they would be allowed to shortly return. That agreement, first denied by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, was later nullified by him. Those apartments are still empty and some of the expelled families are still homeless.