Protests Held against Israel Plans to Evict Bedouins
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Saturday against an Israeli draft law aimed at evicting Bedouin residents from the southern Negev desert.
The government in January approved a bill calling for the relocation of 30,000-40,000 Bedouins, the demolition of about 40 villages and confiscation of more than 700,000 dunams (70,000 hectares) of Negev land.
The draft legislation was adopted by parliament in a first reading in June but it has to pass two more readings in the Knesset before it becomes law.
Israeli police said clashes broke out at the main demonstration Saturday in the Negev village of Houra where around 1,000 protesters had gathered as part of a campaign of "rage" against the bill.
Protesters rained stones on Israeli forces who dispersed the demonstrators, police spokeswoman Louba Samri said.
"Ten policemen were lightly hurt and 11 protesters were arrested," she added.
Protesters said they have appealed plans by Israel to evict them from their homes.
"People who have no land do not exist. We have been living here since before the creation of the state of Israel (1948)," said 70-year-old demonstrator Maqbul Saraya.
"We have submitted a complaint to the court but we feel that democracy and justice in Israel do not apply to us," he said.
Other demonstrations took place Saturday in Haifa, a town in northern Israel home to a large community of Israeli Arabs, as well as in Gaza City and in east Jerusalem, Agence France Presse correspondents said.
Six demonstrators were arrested in Haifa following clashes with police, Samri said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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