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<h1 class="article-title"><small>Israel Demolishes Al-Araqeeb Village
In The Negev</small></h1>
<div class="article-subtitledetails">
<span class="article-details"><span class="article-detail"><img
class="icon" src="cid:part1.07090805.07020803@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> Friday May 10, 2013 07:34</span><span
class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part2.06010107.06040500@freedomarchives.org" alt="author"> by
Saed Bannoura <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/65456">http://www.imemc.org/article/65456</a><br>
</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="article-intro">Thursday May 9 2013, for the fiftieth
time in two years, the Israeli Authorities demolished the Bedouin Arab
village of Al-Araqeeb, in the Negev, displacing dozens of families as
part of the so-called “Negev Development Plan” that aims at building
shopping centers and Jewish communities. <br>
</blockquote>
<p class="article">The Maan News Agency has reported that dozens of
Israeli police jeeps and vehicles invaded the village, and demolished
the homes.<br>
<br>
Resident Aziz At-Toury, told Maan that the residents are determined to
remain steadfast is their lands despite the ongoing Israeli aggression.
<br>
<br>
“Despite the aggression, injustice and tyranny, we will stay here”,
At-Toury told Maan, “We will rebuild our homes again, even if they
demolish them a thousand times”.<br>
<br>
Furthermore, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI”),
reported that the Israeli government approved a plan that would cause
the forced removal of dozens of Bedouin communities in the Negev, in a
move that would deprive them from their historical rights in their
lands. <br>
<br>
ACRI lawyer, Rawiya Abu Rabia, stated that the Israeli violations are
robbing the residents of their historic rights and destroying the
social fabric of these communities in the Negev, and added that these
illegal policies would push thousands of families into unemployment and
poverty. <br>
<br>
Abu Rabia added that, while Israeli is displacing the Bedouin Arab
families, and continuously demolishing their homes and villages,
“Israel’s government continued to promote the development of Jewish
communities in the area, some of these communities will be built on the
ruins of those Bedouin villagers”. Maan said. <br>
<br>
The ACRI said 36 out of 46 Bedouin villages in the Negev, home to more
than 90.000 persons, are not recognized by Israel, therefore, the
residents continue to face displacement and violations depriving them
from their basic rights.<br>
<br>
The villages, unrecognized by Israel, do not have infrastructure,
therefore are without basic services including water, electricity,
sewage systems or even health services. <br>
<br>
On Monday, the Israeli government, approved the framework for the
eviction and removal of all “unrecognized” villahes in the Negev
despite the fact that these villages existed even before the state of
Israel was established in the historic land of Palestine in 1948.<br>
<br>
Background; <br>
<br>
In 2005, Israel approved the so-called “Negev Development Plan” aiming
at building shopping centers and tourist areas, but at the same time
displacing around some 65.000 Bedouins living in what Israel refers to
as “unrecognized villages”.<br>
<br>
Al-Araqeeb village in the Negev is one of the most impacted
“unrecognized villages” in the Negev.<br>
<br>
The plan calls for annexing more than 700.000 Dunams (185329 acres) and
displacing the residents by demolishing 14 villages in the area.<br>
<br>
All unrecognized villages in the Negev are under continuing Israeli
attacks and violations, as Tel Aviv does not recognize the residents'
right to live on their land -- land they inhabited long before the 1948
creation of the state of Israel in historic Palestine. <br>
<br>
Unrecognized villages in the Negev are under continuing Israeli attacks
and violations, as Tel Aviv does not recognize the residents' right to
live on their land -- land they inhabited long before the 1948 creation
of the state of Israel in historic Palestine. </p>
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