Thousands of Druze are demonstrating Wednesday morning in the Golan Heights against the construction of a wind turbine complex for the production of renewable energy in the northern Golan Heights. The demonstrators burned tires, threw stones, fired fireworks and even threw Molotov cocktails at the police. A 29-year-old man sustained moderate injuries as a result of the clashes.
As mentioned, the events are taking place due to turbine construction work in the area after contracts have been signed and large sums of money have been paid to the landowners, the leadership and local authorities that demand the implementation of the project.
Druze riot in Golan Heights to protest turbine construction // Credit: Police Spokesperson's Office
According to the police statement, "Despite the agreements, thousands of Druze continue to throw Molotov cocktails and stones and use severe violence against the police forces securing the establishment of the trobines in the Golan. The police call on the leaders of the Druze community to act to calm the situation." It added that "the Israel Police recommends not going to the Golan Heights area except for the village of Buqa'ata."
Attorney Karamah Abu Saleh of Al-Marsad – The Arab Center for Human Rights in the Golan Heights, and Oded Feller of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said: "The Druze Arab residents of the Golan Heights woke up this morning to a huge and excessive police presence near their lands, and to severe restrictions on their human rights.
It seems that according to the police, members of the Druze Arab community in the northern Golan Heights are not those entitled to its protection, but rather a threat of a criminal nature, requiring enormous police force and subterfuge, just because most of them oppose the plan. We reiterate our demand that the police refrain from blocking residents' access to the agricultural groves, allow residents to exercise their right to protest against the construction of the turbines, and inform residents in advance about the areas expected to be used for the passage of tools and the places where the work will be carried out."
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