Al Araqib village destroyed for 12th time

7th February 2011

Bulldozers of the 'Israeli interior ministry', escorted by big numbers of Israeli police and army forces, on Monday razed all houses in the village of Araqib in the Negev for the 12th consecutive time, Palestinian sources report. Dr. Awad Abu Freih, the spokesman for the committee in defence of Araqib, said that the bulldozers of the so-called 'Israel land administration' and of the interior ministry demolished all constructions in the Bedouin village and left women and children in the open, cold weather without shelter. He told the Quds Press that police and army forces encircled the village's graveyard and assaulted the inhabitants who resorted to the cemetery for sanctuary.

The villagers are adamant on remaining in their village and would not be deterred by Israeli bulldozers, said Abu Freih, adding that the Israeli authorities wanted to pave the way for construction of Jewish farms on the land of the village.

The situation in the village is "tragic" as the Israeli authorities knocked down the homes on the furniture, clothes, and other property while leaving the inhabitants, mostly women and children, in the open, cold weather.

Jerusalem

Meanwhile, the slow destruction of Jerusalem proceeds, in the on-going Nakba.

Several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah district are to be evicted to make way for two new buildings meant to comprise 13 apartments.

The Jerusalem Municipal Committee for Planning and Building was expected to approve on Monday the construction of two buildings that will include 13 apartments for Jewish residents in Sheikh Jarrah.

Backing the plan are settler organizations who currently occupy three homes in the district. Following the plan's approval, a number of Palestinian families will be evicted from the site to allow construction to start.

The planning committee was also expected to approve a new Jews-only access road south of Har Homa, which will enable the expansion of the colony.

According to the plan, two buildings will be razed in the western part of the neighbourhood where, until now, nearly no Jews lived. In its place, two new buildings will be built. One will have 10 apartments and the other, three.

Both schemes have been proposed by Chaim Silverstein, a well known figure in right-wing circles in Jerusalem. The companies behind the project are registered in the United States, and may well be front companies set up by right-wing activists in order to transfer funds for the purchase of land and housing in Israel/Palestine.

Silverstein has power of attorney rights in both companies involved, Debril and Velpin.

For the past 18 months there has been a struggle between Arabs and Jews over the activities of settlers in Sheikh Jarrah and against efforts to evict Palestinian families from the district.

The 'settlers' have been able to expand their hold there because before 1948 there were Jews living in Sheikh Jarrah. The court recognized the right of Jews who inherited properties to reclaim their properties. Since then, the immigrants are working hard to convince the owners of the properties to sell them the rights so that they could evict the Palestinians and populate the area with Jewish families.