Galilee Authorities Demolish Illegal Compound Run by Separatist Cult
Israeli authorities evicted a separatist cult from an illegal agricultural compound in the Galilee after a three-year legal battle, removing dozens of residents living in buses.
Israeli authorities demolished an illegal compound in the Galilee on Monday, dismantling what police and inspectors described as a cult operating an "independent state" on agricultural land in Rosh Pinna.
The eviction targeted the group known as the "Kingdom of Yisrael-El", which has spent over three years living in buses and makeshift structures completely detached from state institutions. Inspectors from the Northern District of the Land Enforcement Administration, backed by police forces, cleared dozens of residents from the site, including 15 children. Authorities also recovered a large number of animals kept on the property.
The demolition order against the illegal encampment was originally issued by the Upper Galilee Local Planning and Building Committee in September 2023. However, the legal proceedings stalled for over three years as group members filed continuous appeals and requests for injunctions in various courts. During this period, the residents refused to recognize the authority of Israeli courts over their commune.
The legal deadlock finally broke when the Safed Magistrate's Court ruled that there were no further grounds to delay the enforcement of the demolition order, paving the way for Monday's operation.
Representatives for the Land Enforcement Administration stated that agricultural land is designated solely for its intended purposes and cannot be used for unauthorized residential compounds. Officials vowed to continue enforcing planning and building laws to protect the public interest. Dudu Peretz, chairman of the Upper Galilee planning committee, confirmed the completion of the operation, noting that the group had erected numerous illegal structures in the heart of agricultural land before the courts ultimately dismissed their appeals.
The group, led by Shai Karmusta who styles himself as "the King", previously operated out of Emek Hefer before relocating north in the spring of 2023. By September of that year, they established their compound on agricultural land near Rosh Pinna, fencing off the area and installing solar panels in defiance of local farmers, police, and the Israel Land Authority.
