The Bedouin village of Al-Araquib is destroyed for the fifth time

By Joseph Dana September 13, 2010 | Edit

This morning shortly before sunrise in the wasteland of Israeli democracy, Israeli armed forces destroyed a Bedouin village in the Negav desert…for the fifth time. According to the Ma’an news agency, “On 27 July, all 40 homes in the Al-Araqib village were destroyed and 300 residents, all Israeli citizens, were evicted during the raid after an Israeli court deemed the village illegally built on state land. The Bedouin residents say they have proof of land ownership, and have been in court for several years. At least 200 children were left homeless as a result, as police removed residents property into prepared containers, and bulldozers razed buildings and sheepfolds, local activists said in a statement. Fruit orchards and olive grove trees were destroyed in the process.Israeli activists who were present at the initial demolition described the move as an “act of war, such as is undertaken against an enemy.”The Bedouin residents of Al-Araquib hold Israeli citizenship and many have served in the Israeli army. Al-Araquib is becoming a prime example of what Israel means when it calls itself a “Jewish and democratic state.” Jews receive democracy and everyone else is pushed off of their land and striped of their rights.

My previous report on Al-Araquib can be found here. The following is photo essay by Mairav Zonzsein, who was on the ground as the village was destroyed.

Children of Al-Araquib Watch as Israeli Armed Forces Prevent Non-Violent Demonstration Against the Razing of the Village. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
Children of Al-Araquib Watch as Israeli Armed Forces Prevent Non-Violent Demonstration Against the Razing of the Village. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
The Village is Destroyed. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
The Village is Destroyed. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
The Village is Rebuilt. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
The Village is Rebuilt. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
Waiting for the Next Round of Destruction. Photo by Mairav Zonszein
Waiting for the Next Round of Destruction. Photo by Mairav Zonszein

Joseph Dana was a contributing writer on +972 Magazine from August 2010 to December 2011. This is an archive of his work.

End of article module for Members

TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence.    We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies.   This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza.   We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives.   Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

Make a Donation