Israel demolishes Al-Araqeeb Bedouin village for 146th time

Israeli bulldozers yesterday demolished the Arab Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev, south of Israel for the 146th time under the pretext of building without permits.

According to eyewitnesses, Israeli vehicles, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, raided the village of Al-Araqeeb yesterday morning and demolished Palestinian houses and displaced their residents.

The sources pointed out that the demolition included tents and houses made of corrugated iron and some wood and nylon, displacing the elderly, children and women.

The Israeli forces demolished the village for the first time on 27 July 2010 under the pretext that the land on which the village was built belongs to the state.

The village was last demolished on 30 May.

Discrimination, division and demolitions: Life as a Palestinian citizen of Israel

Al-Araqeeb is one of 51 Arab villages in the Negev the Israeli occupation authorities do not recognise and has been targeted for demolition ahead of building homes for new Jewish communities.

Israel has imposed fines on the villagers of Al-Araqeeb worth millions of dollars, Quds Press said, and charges them for the use of the Israeli bulldozers which carry out the demolition of their homes.

Israeli courts decide that the owners of the unlicensed homes must demolish them, but when they fail to do so, Israeli bulldozers carry out the demolitions and the owners are ordered to pay for the bulldozers.

In 1969, Israel called on Arab land owners to register their land with the authorities, but since then they have not accepted any of the applications made by Arab residents of the Negev.

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