Israeli police officer living in illegal outpost

Peace Now organization reveals that police superintendent living in illegal outpost in southern Mount Hebron. Year and-a-half after issue raised with police, reported that officer will leave his house, but only at end of 2007. Peace Now: 'Illogical that someone can be police officer by day, criminal by night'

Who will enforce the law on the law enforcers? The Peace Now organization turned to the Police Investigation Unit to investigate how it can be that a police superintendent is living in the illegal outpost Mitzpeh Yair, in southern Mount Hebron.

After a year and a half of correspondences with various officials, the police recently announced that given the law is not changed, the police officer will leave his house, but not until July 2007 when his children finish the school year at their current schools.

About a year ago, Peace Now found out that one of the illegal outposts is home to a police officer. Following this the organization turned to the Police Investigation Unit demanding a clarification of the issue.

"It is unthinkable that a police officer lives in an outpost that the State defines as illegal," said Director of Peace Now's Settlement Watch Program Dror Etkes.

According to Etkes, Peace Now has been in correspondence with the Police Investigation Unit for a year and-a-half, but only recently succeeded in getting a response from them.

Three days ago, the police disciplinary department responded, "In light of the material that was collected, investigated, and considered, the officer will be asked to cease residence in the site after July 2007 (at the end of the current school year)."

In their response letter, the police noted, "The collection of material on the legal status of the structure in which the officer lives was only recently concluded."

It was added in the letter that the command for the officer to evacuate his house will stand as long as the legal status of the structure is not changed by July 2007.

In a response to Ynet, Etkes said, "The fact that Israel Police has been trying for a year and a half to evade the issue gives expression to the general evasion of the State of Israel of enforcing the law on the settlers in the settlements. This is yet another expression of the collapse of the rule of law in the West Bank. It is illogical that someone can be a police officer by day, and a criminal by night."