Israeli high court temporarily halts building of separation fence News
Israeli high court temporarily halts building of separation fence

[JURIST] Israel's High Court of Justice [official website] issued a temporary injunction Thursday instructing state workers "to refrain from all uprooting of trees or orchards and digging, paving, leveling, construction or other preparations" for the erecting of the security fence [Israeli Defence Ministry official website] between Israel and Palestinian areas of the West Bank between Jerusalem and Maccabim. The halt on construction was ordered after residents of the Palestinian village of Beit Sourik northwest of Jerusalem, who petitioned the court that the route of the fence did not conform with a June 2004 High Court ruling [text] requiring route adjustments and a similarly-critical advisory ruling [official text] by the International Court of Justice [official website]. Israeli officials, however, have rejected [Haaretz report] the ICJ's ruling on the separation fence as a violation of human rights. The high court has given the state seven days to respond to the petitions. From Israel, Haaretz has more.