Israeli-Arabs go on strike and mourn following Negev killing

Israeli-Arabs have gone on general strike and declared a state of mourning to protest Israeli demolitions of Arab homes in the Negev, and the killing of a Palestinian in a village yesterday.

The Palestinian Arab48 news website reported that a man going by the name of Yaqub Abu Al-Qay’an was killed yesterday as Israeli authorities bulldozed eight Palestinian homes in the village of Om Al-Hayran.

An Israeli-Arab organisation, known as the High Follow-up Committee, an extra-parliamentary organisation representing Arab citizens of the occupied territories, declared the general strike and mourning period in protest against the events at Om Al-Hayran.

The committee head, Mohamed Baraka, called for imposing “international protection” for Arabs in Israel in light of Israel’s hostile escalations against its Arab citizens, specifically singling out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being a primary culprit.

“This is what we saw last week…along with Netanyahu’s statement that followed this crime wherein he vowed more crimes,” Baraka said during a press release. “This is taking place now in Om Al-Hayran, which resulted in the martyrdom of one young man and the injury of tens.”

The committee stressed the importance of mobilising protesters for demonstrations due to be held this Saturday to object to continued Israeli violations against Arabs living in the Negev.