Mitzpe Hagit

Mitzpe Hagit was founded in early 1999. It began with only two wooden caravans on a hill 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Kfar Adumim.^[2] On October 12, 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced that Mitzpe Hagit was one of 15 outposts in the West Bank that he planned to have dismantled, on the recommendation of the Israeli Defense Ministry. Barak gave the residents 14 hours to appeal.^[3]

In November 1999, Pinhas Wallerstein, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, said that residents of Mitzpe Hagit would voluntarily leave the site until the outpost was officially authorized by the Israeli government.^[4]

By the end of December 1999 Mitzpe Hagit had been removed. Peace Now issued a report claiming that the Israeli government had approved new caravans there and in other dismantled outposts. The organization stated that this "testified to the continuation of under-the-table doings in everything linked to building in the settlements."^[5]

Efraim Sneh, Deputy Defense Minister at the time, said that his office was not planning to approve any building permits and that "[Neveh] Erez^[6] and Hagit were removed; they can submit plans to build but it doesn't mean anything. Therefore the movement shouldn't confuse the public."^[5]

By October 2000 settlers had returned to Mitzpe Hagit.^[7] There were again two caravans and the population was 8 adults and 4 children. Shimon and Chaya Ben Dor, who had been among the original founders,^[2] claimed that their return had the approval of Ehud Barak. Israeli officials, though, were unsure if this was true.^[7]