Residents of the Binyamin community of Ofra have written a letter to the chairman of Jewish Home, Naftali Bennett, on Thursday, regarding the destruction of nine houses in the community in accordance with a High Court decision.

In the letter, the residents beg Bennett to have Jewish Home pressure Likud further about building – or lack thereof – in Judea and Samaria.  

The residents explained that they sent the letter because of the general feeling that “despite the request of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to support him in the elections, there is no validation of promises made by him to residents of Judea and Samaria.”

The letter explained that Ofra is currently caught in the eye of the political storm due to a High Court ruling ordering the destruction of nine houses in the middle of town, and they do not intend to sit idly by in light of this decision.

The residents emphasized that “we do not intend to negotiate for something in exchange for giving up nine houses. The Secretariat of the Council of Ofra and members of the community plan to operate in a variety of ways to prevent the destruction of houses in Ofra, and continue to act to regulate the entire community after 40 years since its inception.”

Ofra residents turned to Bennett personally, as they expect to team up with local Jewish Home branches and with the Binyamin Regional Council to defend their community. 

“We see you as our messenger and the entire settlement expects the Jewish Home party, and yourself, to propose all possibilities for further regulation of the status of Ofra and other settlements, in talks for the establishment of the government and the course of its work [during the 20th Knesset – ed.],” they said.

Coalition talks between Likud and Jewish Home have stalled recently, and discord over the covert construction freeze in the area that Netanyahu’s government has been implementing since 2013 while Jewish Home was a coalition member has been a large sticking point, sources close to talks say.