Israeli court recommends government recognise Arab village

Israel’s Supreme Court recommended that the Israeli government recognise the village of Dahmash, located between Lod and Ramle.

The court held a hearing yesterday over a petition calling for the recognition of the village.

The court had deliberated the petition submitted by lawyer Kais Nasser on behalf of the people of Dahmash against the Ministry of the Interior and the Israeli government in order to discuss residents’ demand that the village be recognised within the domain of the Emek Lod Regional Council and the judicial proceedings against the residents be frozen.

It decided to issue a recommendation to the Israeli government and the interior ministry to find a practical solution for organising Dahmash, and it requested that the State Prosecution consider the latest developments in the case until 1 September 2015.

The court hearing was attended by dozens of the village’s residents, a group of activists, and Jewish jurists who support the people in their demand for organising the village. A mass prayer was held outside the court building comprising a number of Jewish, Christian and Muslim activists.

The recommendation of the court came after the lawyer Nasser had briefed the court on the population’s efforts to organise the village, which ended with the Boundary Commission’s decision to keep Dahmash within the influence of the Emek Lod Regional Council. Nasser explained to the court that residents are willing to adopt each solution that includes organising the village, licensing its houses and developing them so as to end the suffering of the population.

Previously, the State Prosecution asked the court to mention in its recommendation that the ruling does not prevent the state from implementing the demolition orders in the village, but the court refused to do so.

Speaking about the decision, lawyer Kais Nasser said: “I see the recommendation of the court as a positive development in the case of the village of Dahmash, as the court talked about finding a solution to the problem of the village and organising it, instead of talking about Dahmash as a problem only.”

“The recommendation puts Dahmash on the path of the solution. We were able to prove to the court that the population are not against the solution and they do not put preconditions, but that all their demands are to organise the village and put an end to their suffering.”