Settler Outpost Removed from Arab Land After Public Protests
A settler outpost established on land belonging to the "Russian" community in Majd al-Krum has been dismantled, and the settlers have left the site. The removal followed sustained public and legal activism, including widespread protests in recent days demanding the eviction order be enforced and landowners be allowed access.
The Popular Committee and Local Council in Majd al-Krum announced on Thursday that the outpost was removed and the settlers departed "never to return, God willing." They emphasized that the eviction was a result of a "mighty popular and public stand" involving residents and supporters from outside the town. The committee and council stated that the outpost did not evacuate on its own but due to the "mighty popular and public stand" where everyone united, "women and men, old and young." They asserted that the action proved "defending the land and rights is a collective responsibility."
Both bodies thanked participants in the activism, both from Majd al-Krum and elsewhere, stating their presence sent a message that "our land and our people's rights are not to be trifled with." They also expressed gratitude to Arab and foreign journalists and media outlets, along with the Adalah Center and the Alternative Planning Center, for their role in covering the issue. The statement declared the outpost's removal a "step achieved," asserting that the popular movement demonstrated that organized public action and unity can protect land and rights, concluding, "The Russian land is ours... and our stand bore fruit, and with our unity, we protected our land and our rights."
The announcement came after a day of tension, as Israeli police blocked roads to the outpost, preventing landowners and protesters from reaching it. This forced dozens of residents to take difficult mountain paths for up to three kilometers. The settlers were scheduled to be evacuated by Wednesday afternoon, but the process was delayed. The Popular Committee stated at the time that the police and the Jewish National Fund (JNF) were stalling the eviction.
Earlier on Thursday, the dismantling process began, with police present and residents kept from direct access. The decision to dismantle followed a JNF meeting amid escalating public and legal pressure, as the JNF had been considering establishing a pastoral outpost in the same area. Concurrently, the local council, in cooperation with Adalah, pursued legal avenues to demand the outpost's removal.
The majority of the land where the outpost was built belongs to a resident of Majd al-Krum, with another portion controlled by the Israel Land Authority. Hundreds of dunams surrounding the site belong to local residents, raising concerns about solidifying a settlement presence and its potential expansion into other Arab lands in the Galilee.
