The Israeil government erases the Bedouin Village of Twail again

Yeela Raanan, the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages
Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Again, hundreds of police people congregated by the city of Rahat. Again, they accompanied the demolishing bulldozers. Again the drove by the train tracks on their way to the village of Twail Abu-Jarwal. And again – the destruction, the violence, and the pain they leave behind.

Is it not yet obvious that the villagers have no other options? Wouldn’t five waves of demolitions, two of the entire village, have convinced anyone who had options to leave? Evidently, the government is not yet sure that these people cannot still be convinced, so here is yet another lesson, maybe you will be convinced this time. Again the village was completely demolished: 15 structures, including the sheep dens, eleven tents. Everything was destroyed. The tents they took.

Aqil Talalqa, the village’s elected head, sat with governmental officials, in an attempt to find some kind of compromise for his tribe, about 500 people, who have no place to build a home. With lack of any other options they returned to their ancestral lands several years ago, and now are subject to the cruel repetitive demolitions. The compromise the government offered was a neighborhood in the Bedouin town of Laqia – on another family’s land. One wonders why would the government suggest such an impossible solution? Scores of years ago, the government confiscated land from Arabs in the Negev in order to sell it to other Arabs. For the scores of years that passed no Arab has been willing to build his house on another Arab’s confiscated land. And this is the land that is suggested to Talalqa. The Authority for the “Advancement” of the Bedouins knows well that building a home on another’s land brings about serious conflicts. Sadly, it seems Aqil’s answer makes sense: “They want to create conflict between families and tribes. All sorts of conflicts. For them this is fun.”

Tonight again over 100 people will be without a roof, in the cold desert night.

For more information: Yeela Raanan, RCUV. 054 7487005.