Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
פורום דו-קיום בנגב לשוויון אזרחי
منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية

International Update | October 20, 2014

Five Detained and Five Injured During a House Demolition in Wadi Al-Na’am

On Tuesday, October 14, large forces and bulldozers arrived at the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi Al-Na’am. Despite the court’s decision earlier that day to postpone the demolition order for the targeted house, the forces refused to wait for the residents’ attorney to bring the decision and carried out the demolition. The house belonged to a young couple intending to get married within the next few weeks.

Police refusal to wait for the attorney or let the residents take belongings out of the house before the demolition, along with police violence, led to a confrontation between the forces and the residents of the village. Five people were arrested – four men, and the engaged young woman to whom the house belonged. Many were wounded, and seven were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The residents of Wadi Al-Na’am reported extreme police violence, including cursing, obscene gestures and threats, and the use of crowd control weapons including sponge bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. The shooting resulted in serious injuries to residents, including women and children.

On Wednesday, October 15, the detainees were brought to a court hearing in which it was decided to extend their detention until Sunday. On Sunday, the detention was extended again until Tuesday, October 21.

Al-Arakib update: the village was demolished

On October 1st, the Lod District Court denied the request of residents of Al-Arakib for the right to appeal the Magistrate Court’s decision. According to both decisions, the eviction of the cemetery compound will not be delayed. In addition, during Eid Al-Adha, ILA and Green Patrol vehicles arrived at the village and drove around.

As expected, demolition forces arrived at the village of Al-Arakib on Tuesday, October 14. The forces demolished all the shacks in the village, confiscated vehicles and a water tank and most of the residents’ personal belongings, including mattresses and blankets. Sheikh Sayyh A-Turi, the Sheikh of the village, and two of his sons were arrested during the demolition. While one of the detainees was released within a couple of hours, the other two were released only the day after, without a court hearing.

If you are in the region: The residents of the village of Al-Arakib hold a weekly protest against the ongoing demolitions of their village every Sunday at Lehavim junction at 4:30pm. Support the ongoing struggle and join the weekly protest that has taken place every week for more than 4 years!

Thanks to You: NCF Reached the Target and the Photography Workshop will Happen!

Our crowd funding project reached its target – we managed to raise the funds needed for the upcoming photography workshop, thanks to you!

If you haven’t ordered a new calendar or one of the great photos from our previous photography workshops – you have only 6 days until the project ends! – click here and check it out!

About the workshops: Every year, NCF holds a ten-day photography workshops in two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev-Naqab. During these workshops, children and youth learn how to use a camera and how to document life in their village. The workshop is guided by volunteer professional photographers, who expose Bedouin children to the world of photography. The amazing outcomes of the photography workshops, displayed in exhibitions throughout the world, allow the viewer to grasp and understand the Negev-Naqab and the persistent struggle of the Bedouin community through the perspective of the children living there. At the end of the workshops, participants keep the cameras and continue to document their lives and apply the knowledge they gained.

We would like to thank everyone that supported the project and made the upcoming photography workshop a reality!