UPDATE (September 14, 2010): Al-Arakib was razed again by Israeli bulldozers for the fifth time in two months.
Max Blumenthal reported on it first:
AL-ARAKIB, ISRAEL — On July 26, Israeli police demolished 45 buildings in the unrecognized Bedouin village of al-Arakib, razing the entire village to the ground to make way for a Jewish National Fund forest. The destruction was part of a larger project to force the Bedouin community of the Negev away from their ancestral lands and into seven Indian reservation-style communities the Israeli government has constructed for them. The land will then be open for Jewish settlers…
The “Summer Camp Of Destruction:” Israeli High Schoolers Assist The Razing Of A Bedouin Town, Max Blumenthal
Then it happened again one week later.
Israel Land Administration workers are razing the Bedouin village of al-Arakib near Rahat, which is not recognized by the State of Israel. The village was demolished last week and subsequently rebuilt
Al-Arakib Bedouin village razed again, Ynet News
Just moments ago, Israeli police razed al-Arakib for the third time in exactly two weeks. This time around, police forces attempted to remove any material that might be used for rebuilding purposes. They also sprayed the land with a toxic substance so as to prevent any immediate resettlement by the indigenous Bedouin families who once lived peacefully in this small town. Hundreds of armed forces guarded the heavy machinery used to continue the demolition project while Bedouin villagers looked on. Two weeks ago, homes were made into rubble. Today, rubble was made into even more rubble.
Roughly three dozen activists showed up to protest Israel’s attempt to further uproot an entire Bedouin community. In a courageous display of true journalism, Joseph Dana took the following photographs:
One of the 45 buildings demolished by Israeli forces two weeks ago
A massive police force sets up a perimeter around the forthcoming operation
Protesters face fully-armed Israeli police in riot gear
Another shot of Israeli policemen before round two of demolitions
Protesters and Israeli police scuffle, leaving three protesters injured
Behind the row of Israeli guards, two heavy-duty construction machines tear down walls
Two policemen stand before rubble
The Israeli police force surrounded the unarmed activists
A villager sits on top of her home that was just recently demolished by Israeli forces
In the upper right corner is all that remains of an entire Bedouin village
Jewish and non-Jewish activists look on as Israeli forces finish the mission and prepare to leave
Activists and townspeople attempt to rebuild the village yet again
The community is still trying to rebuild makeshift homes
Does any of this constitute justice?
All photos courtesy of Joseph Dana. Please follow visit his website at josephdana.com. Read what he reported to Al Jazeera English here.
———
YouTube video of the first round of demolitions in al-Arakib, July 26:
Sami Kishawi
Recent Comments