The question of the illegal construction of Khan al-Ahmar has been litigated before the Supreme Court for nearly a decade.

During this time, all the parties involved were given every opportunity to express their positions and present their evidence before all level of Israel's judicial system. After an exhaustive and intensive proceeding, the Israeli Supreme Cour ruled that the structures were illegally built and that the families living there had settled without legal authorization.

Taking into account the complexities of the situation, the State of Israel offered residents of Khan al-Ahmar a location in close proximity (8 kilometers) to another Bedouin community, and complete with individual plots of land for each family. The new community would feature suitable infrastructure for human habitation, electricity and water - elements unavailable in Khan al-Ahmar - all provided at the expense of the State.

Yet, despite the measures and with the encouragement of the European Union (EU) and the backing of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Bedouin residents of Khan al-Ahmar have chosen to obstruct justice by refusing to follow the Supreme Court's ruling.

The intervention of the EU and the PA has only exacerbated the situation and may encourage the residents of Khan al-Ahmar to resort to violence, rather than accept the legal verdict. We also consider the actions of the EU and the PA as an attempt to turn a legal issue - which has been settled in Israel's highest court after nearly a decade of exhaustive, thorough, and fair litigation - into a political issue through blatant interference into the internal affairs of the State of Israel.

In addition, it is worth noting that, on numerous occasions, the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria were illegally built and that the families living there had settled without legal authorization, demonstrating that the question of ownership over land is paramount. This includes the towns of Nativ Ha'avot (2018), Amona (2017), and Migron (2012). Yet, following these rulings, the world has remained silent, in stark contrast to​ the cries we hear today.

I ask that when you meet to deliberate on this subject, you will be sure to consider the vital principles of justice and due process that accompanied Israel when facing the issue of Khan al-Ahmar.