In December 2016 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to an order by the Israeli Supreme Court to remove an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied territories by instructing his troops to demolish the homes of Palestinians (who are Israeli citizens).
Netanyahu depended on settlers votes to become Prime Minister.
Palestinians responded with a well attended strike against the demolition of 11 homes in Qalansuwa, Safa news agency reported on Tuesday.
In a statement by the committee who organised the strike, Chairman Mohamed Baraka said:
“We blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally for these crimes, they reflect his racist mentality in order to distract attention from his own scandals.”
The Follow-up Committee held an emergency meeting with Qalansuwa’s mayor, Abdel Basit Salama, along with a number of members of the Joint Arab List in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) and representatives of all Palestinian Arab institutions in Israel.
Although Mayor Salama has tendered his resignation because he can’t defend his own constituents, the committee asked him to withdraw it pending a solution to the problem of the home demolitions.
Further action is planned by the committee, including meetings and an awareness-raising event in the small city.
Netanyahu responded by saying:
“There will be no double standards regarding construction. There will be equal enforcement of the law in Israel for both Jews and Arabs.”
Joint List Member of the Knesset Ayman Odeh criticised Netanyahu, accusing him of taking such measures to attack the Arab population in Israel.
Nearly 1.7 million Palestinians live in Israel and hold Israeli citizenship. They make up 20.7 per cent of the total population of 8.3 million. They are known as “Arabs of 48” and they are the Arabs who did not leave their cities and villages during the al nakba meaning the catastrophe in 1948.
Ian Curr
19 Jan 2107
Reference
Netanyahu demands demolition of unlicensed Arab structures
Photo: a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley
