Amona residents have accused the government of reneging on the agreement with them, and say they no longer consider themselves bound the by the terms of their agreement to leave their illegal outpost peacefully.

The government had promised the settlers it would provide them alternate temporary housing on an adjacent hilltop, not far from the outpost that is to be evacuated on orders from the Supreme Court.

Yesterday the residents accused the government of deliberately misleading them, saying that despite the promises, with less than three weeks until the deadline progress on getting the new homes ready has been negligible.

The settlement was supposed to have been evacuated on December the 25, but the court agreed to a final postponement until February 8, to give the government time to implement the agreement that would assure a peaceful evacuation.

The residents are now saying that in light of the government’s lack of good faith, any attempt to force them to leave their homes will meet vigorous opposition that “will shake the foundations of the state,” a clear hint at possible violence.

The residents are demanding the government pass the controversial legalization bill including a retroactive clause pertaining to Amona. The bill proposes authorizing the government to legalize settlements built on privately-owned Palestinian land, forcing the original owners to renounce their ownership rights in return for some form of compensation.

Netanyahu is reluctant to allow the bill, currently in committee after having passed its first reading, to come out of committee. He is concerned passing the bill could result in ministers, Knesset members and senior officials facing prosecution at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.