An alarming new ruling by the Israeli High Court today removed what appears to have been the last remaining Israeli legal barrier to the demolition of the Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar, in the West Bank. There is now a very real danger that the Israeli government could demolish the village as soon as next week.

If carried out, this demolition would destroy an entire community and displace dozens of innocent families. Underscoring the uncertainty facing these residents, several High Court justices acknowledged the current absence of an agreed-upon alternative site in which to resettle them.

Beyond the devastation it would create for Khan al-Ahmar’s residents, the demolition would also strike a major blow to prospects for a two-state solution and a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians. Destroying the village would help pave the way for the Israeli settlement movement to achieve its aim of ultimately cutting off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank — a massive obstacle to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state.

In the wake of this decision, we strongly urge elected officials and American Jewish leaders to speak out and warn the Netanyahu government not to move forward with demolitions in Khan al-Ahmar. Through the student-led “Stop Demolitions, Build Peace” campaign, which partners directly with Khan al-Ahmar and other vulnerable Palestinian communities, J Street will continue to work to build international awareness of the demolitions threat and to advocate for urgent congressional action on this issue. We refuse to look away from the Netanyahu government’s destructive and unjust policies in the West Bank.