Tu Bashvet has arrived: on the occasion of the holiday of the New Year,
a planting event is expected to take place today (Sunday) in the Be'er Sheva valley. The event is taking place near Moshav Nabatim, on Highway 25, in the part of the land located deep in the Bedouin diaspora. Several residents of the area and activists gathered this morning on lands that are apparently not The police rushed to the scene, as did various parties in the political system.
Even earlier, Hossein Elrafeya, a member of the Council for Unrecognized Villages, explained the position of the local residents.
"As soon as the authorities come to people's lands, we will oppose," said Elarfeya.
"The land is in the territory of the state, so we do not object. There is no way that we will leave our lands. Now we are in ownership, near the cemetery, but the plot we are talking about today is not in the ownership claim, so we will not object if it is done there. Our lands are East of Wadi".
With constant attention
MK Yosef Atauna (Hadash-Ta'al) also visited the place. "We are here because RMI (Israel Land Authority - AI) is asking KKL-Junk to plant trees in this area," said the Knesset member. The main goal is to crown the area and control it.
From 1948 until today, the State of Israel did not recognize the Bedouin's ownership of the land.
They come to plant trees and destroy the crop.
It's apartheid."
The commander of the Negev region, Sub-Commissioner Nachshon Nagler, who supervises the police forces operating in the incident, told "Israel Hayom": "We are here in the area of Nabatim Scattered. The intention is to continue an important project of planting trees and developing the lands of the Negev. This is state land. The intention of The police is to continue to allow RMI and KKL-Junk to operate in a good and safe manner. We are also in constant contact with the leadership of the Bedouin sector. The intention is to do everything in full coordination."
MK Yosef Atauna (the joint list) on plantations in the Be'er Sheva Valley: "Dispossession of Bedouin lands is a crime" // Photo: No
Prolonged preparation
The Minister of the Negev, the Galilee and National Resilience, Yitzhak Wasserlauf (Otzma Yehudit) worked with the members of the KKL-Junk board to hold the plantings in the Negev as planned. Minister Wasserlauf visits the place and participated in the preparations for the plantings at the police headquarters, including a meeting with the head of the Yoav unit of the NCM Avi Levy , Director General of the Israel Lands Authority Jacob Quint, KKL-Junk and the professional teams that accompanied the review of the preparations before going down to the planting area.
Minister Wasserlauf in a conversation with police officials, Rami and KKL-Junk, photo: None
Initially, KKL-Junk delayed plantings in the south intended to prevent encroachment on lands that are to be used in the future for the expansion of the Trans-Israel highway. Although the plantings were coordinated with the police with a large budget, KKL-Junk, which serves as the enforcement arm of the Israel Lands Authority, refused to approve them.
After pressure exerted by ministers in the government on senior officials in the KKL-Junk management, it was decided to approve the plantings in the Negev.
Preparations for planting in the Be'er Sheva Valley, photo: None
There are no ownership claims on the area where the plantings are carried out.
Sources told "Israel Hayom" that the Bedouin for their part do not argue with the move, only in a specific area that is in dispute there is, according to them, agricultural work.
"We decided that there would be plantings and it was a canary in the field," said Minister Wasserlauf.
"The plantings in the Negev strengthen the governance, the grip on the land and prevent wild illegal construction in the diaspora. This is the planting of sovereignty and governance in the Negev, which will prevent invasion of state lands, lawlessness and continuous neglect."
"The confiscation of Bedouin lands is a crime," added MK Atauna. "KKL with the assistance of the police began expropriating agricultural land planted with wheat and planting shade trees. This is a racist action against the Bedouin Arabs in the Negev. We do not accept this action and will oppose it."
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