Evyatar

The Israeli outpost at Evyatar was established in 2013 as a reaction to the 2013 Tapuah Junction stabbing in which Evyatar Borovsky was killed.[7] The outpost has been destroyed several times by Israeli officials.[8] It was re-established in May 2021.[9] Residents of the outpost, illegal under Israeli law,[9] were to be evicted on 4 July 2021.[10]

On 27 February 2023, the day after a rampage by Israeli Settlers in the Palestinian village of Huwara, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir organized a gathering in the outpost as it was being evicted, saying that people should not take the law into their own hands while also vowing to crush the enemy, during the gathering he also announced that he was discussing the matter of legalizing the outpost with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu[11]

On 10 April 2023, a group of at least a thousand activists marched towards the outpost demanding it to be legalized under Israeli law, among the people in the group there were also several government ministers including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The group also included members of the Knesset like Simcha Rothman and Boaz Bismuth as well as senior Religious Zionist rabbis. The march was secured by IDF soldiers as well as police officers.[12][13]

After a compromise with the Israeli authorities stipulating that the outpost's structures are to remain intact and the settlers may return if the land is subsequently deemed state-owned, the residents vacated the settlement on July 2.[14] On July 8, 2021, Palestinians from nearby villages petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice to revoke this compromise on the grounds that they hold the rights to the land.[15] On July 9, 2021, Israeli forces fired on hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators protesting land confiscation at nearby Beita. The Palestine Red Crescent said 379 protesters were wounded, 31 by live ammunition.[16] On August 14, 2021, Palestinian rioters demonstrated putting up a swastika inside a burning star of David.[17] The building of the outpost, and the subsequent legal process intended to make it permanent, sparked regular Palestinian protests; as of May 2022, 8 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers during the protests.[5] In October 2021, 60 dunams (15 acres) was appropriated as state land, and in February 2022 then-attorney general Avichai Mandelblit approved forming a legal settlement there, encouraging the position of settler leader Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council for populating Evyatar and other outposts.[18] The supporters of populating the outpost expect the new government will promote this position.[19]

Protest against Evyatar, September 2021