End the demolition of Bedouin homes in southern Israel from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 10SEP10

ISRAEL is guilty of using the same brutal tactics against the Bedouin (Israeli citizens mind you) that were used against Jews in the pogroms of Europe and then the Nazis in occupied Europe leading up to the "final solution". They are making a mockery of the slogan "never again". Please participate in this action from Amnesty International by clicking the header of this post or the take action link at the bottom of this post. 

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This year has seen a marked increase in the demolition of Bedouin homes in the Negev (or Naqab) area of southern Israel. On 27 July 2010, the entire al-'Araqib village comprising around 250 people, including many children, was destroyed by officials of the Israel Lands Administration accompanied by over 1,000 police. Olive trees that had been planted by the population were uprooted. According to the Israeli non-governmental organization Adalah, the police also confiscated personal possessions belonging to the residents including electricity generators, refrigerators, ovens, bedroom furniture and bags of flour.

Attempts by residents and their supporters to rebuild homes in the village were met by further destruction to their property by the Israeli authorities.

Dozens of Bedouin villages in southern Israel are not formally recognized by the state authorities, even though their tens of thousands of residents are Israeli citizens. They lack basic services and live under constant threat of destruction of their homes and eviction from the land.

The Israel Lands Administration classifies al-'Araqib and other "unrecognized" villages as state land claiming the Bedouin citizens of Israel "invaded" these areas. Yet, the Bedouin have a well-established historical claim to live there and international human rights law supports the view that they should be free from threats of home demolition or forced evictions.

Amnesty International urges the Israeli authorities immediately to end its home demolitions and forced evictions policy in al-'Araqib and other "unrecognized" villages in Israel.

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Click the 'Send' button below to call on the Director-General of the Israel Lands Administration, Bibi Yaron, to end the demolition of Bedouin villages in southern Israel.

Demolition of Bedouin villages in Israel

Dear Director General,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the Israeli authorities' demolition of around 40 homes in al-‘Araqib, one of the so-called unrecognized villages in the Negev area of southern Israel, and the forcible eviction of around 250 residents, including young children.

These house demolitions and forced evictions are incompatible with Israel's international human rights obligations.

In July, the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) expressed its concern about "allegations of forced evictions of the Bedouin population based on the Public Land Law (Expulsion of Invaders) of 1981 as amended in 2005".

The HRC said it was concerned about the Israeli authorities "inadequate consideration" of the agricultural and other traditional needs of the Bedouin population of the Negev and the difficulties that the Bedouin face in accessing "health structures, education, water and electricity" due to the policies pursued by Israel.

The HRC called on the Israeli authorities to "respect the Bedouin population's right to their ancestral land and their traditional livelihood based on agriculture".

This cycle of demolitions and forcible evictions must end. I urge you to put a stop to these abusive practices and, together with other state bodies, to afford official recognition to these villages and allow their residents security of tenure and the possibility of developing their villages without the constant threat that their homes and livelihoods will be destroyed and their life chances blighted through lack of educational, health and other key resources.

Yours sincerely