'Migron outpost will be emptied within year, by force or by consent'

The unauthorized West Bank outpost of Migron will be evacuated exactly a year from now, whether or not the settlers there agree to the terms of the evacuation, the State Prosecution said Monday.

The High Court of Justice heard that plans are underway to construct 50 new permanent homes in the existing settlement of Adam, to absorb the outpost evacuees.

Anar Helman from the State Prosecutor's Office told the court that any outpost resident who refuses to leave once construction of the new housing units has been completed will be removed by force.

The plan to absorb the outpost evacuees calls for the construction of 1,450 homes in Adam. Only 50 of the housing units have been approved by the Defense Ministry so far.

Anti-settlement organization Peace Now urged the court not to accept this arrangement, which was agreed by settlers and the Defense Ministry.

"Construction of a neighborhood in Adam is supposed to take years. Should the High Court accept this arrangement, it will effectively prepare the ground for dozens of families to remain on Palestinian territory, which is unlawful," said Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer.

"The time has come for [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak to stop passing the hot potato to the High Court, and for him to make the decision to evacuate the outpost immediately," he said.