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

In light of new findings: NCF demands an independent committee to investigate the Umm al-Hiran events

22.01.2017

New findings from the dissection of Yaaqub Abu Alqian strengthens what was known from the beginning – Abu Alqian had no intent to harm anyone, and was shot by police as he was driving slowly near his home. Israeli Channel 10 published some of the findings – that Abu Alqian was shot in his right knee and in his chest, that he died after 20 to 30 minutes, and received no treatment, that could have save his life.

Yet, Israeli police still declines all new findings, insisting that it was a “terror attack” and that Abu Alqian was a “terrorist”. Although police changed its version a couple of times already, it totally ignores the fact that there is no evidence for this claim. By now, police is holding Abu Alqian’s body, not allowing his family to have a proper funeral. Police claims that they will allow the burial only if it will happen overnight, with less than 50 people present, although it becomes clear that Abu Alqian was an innocent citizen, who was shot by police, lost control over his car, and hit the policemen with no intent to do so, after he was already shot.

The Negev Coexistence Forum calls on the Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan and the Chief of Israeli Police Roni Alsheikh to take responsibility for the tragic events in Umm El-Hiran and apologize for their inflammatory comments. The ongoing incitement by the Ministry and the police itself are irresponsible and dangerous. The defamation of an innocent citizen, his entire family and the Bedouin community in general, the lies spread by the police spokesperson and the minister himself, as well as the decision not to let the family to have a proper burial, are destructive acts, which threaten to destroy the fragile relations between Arabs and Jews in the Negev/Naqab at these difficult times.

We demand the government to order police to release the body immediately and unconditionally, and to establish an independent investigation committee for Wednesday’s events. An innocent citizen was killed for no reason, and police did not treat him although they could save his life, a policeman was hit by his car and was killed at the scene –  seemingly, due to reckless behavior by the police. Only an independent committee can investigate such a complicated event and expose the truth.