After an intense standoff between the community members of Givat Ze’ev and the Israeli Supreme Court, matters seemed to have come to a close today when it was reported that the synagogue, Ayelet Hashachar, would be dismantled and rebuilt within three months in another location.

The legal battle began when a left-wing Israeli group, Yesh Din, brought the case to the Israeli Supreme Court where it claimed that the synagogue had been illegally built on privately-owned Palestinian land.

The deal was struck as a result of a plan authored by a handful of senior politicians, including Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, promising that the synagogue would not be destroyed by bulldozers but would be dismantled and reassembled in a location nearby.

However, in a sudden turn of events, a number of congregants have renewed their determination to thwart the planned relocation. One of the managers of the synagogue, David Harush, said in an interview with TPS prior to the deal being struck that part of the problem was that in discussing the demolition, the state had not made any suggestions of compensation. “When they find a solution,” he said, “we will stand behind it whether that means compensation, an exchange of land or whatever. We will cooperate if they found a solution.”

While the plan was accepted by the Mayor of Givat Ze’ev, the congregation of the synagogue said that they would not accept it unless a series of procedural conditions were met.

Givat Ze’ev councilwoman Ilana Dror told TPS that initially the members of the synagogue would have had to move to a temporary structure approximately 150 meters away pending the construction of a permanent building which would take approximately three months. “We all thought we had a deal. The people however, said that they would only agree to it if they could remain in the synagogue until the new one is ready. That was the issue – moving to a temporary place or a permanent place,” Dror said.

At the time of the conversation with TPS, Dror said that she was in close contact with Naftali Bennet who, together with Aryeh Deri of the ultra-orthodox Shas party, was currently meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss solutions for the problem. “Naftali Bennett texted me saying they have some kind of agreement and they have to bring it to the Supreme Court so it can be approved.”

Following the sudden reversal, individuals opposing the transfer began calling upon supporters to assemble at the synagogue and further warned that the Israeli military was gearing up for a large-scale evacuation.