On Monday morning, Israeli police destroyed the Bedouin town of al-Arakib, in the southern Israel, after the residents rebuilt their homes for seventh time in three months, Ma’an reported.Local sources told Ma’an News Agency that when Israeli police arrived in the village, they raided the houses, emptying them of residents’ possessions, before demolishing the structures. Israel Land Administration representatives and the security forces also participated in the demolition.
This the seventh time that al-Arakib has been razed by Israeli Authorities. The village, which is located in the Negev desert, was first demolished in late June, but the police had to come back six more times to destroy it, after residents resistance managed to rebuilt their homes.
Al-Arakib is one of 45 so-called Bedouin villages in southern Israel, that are not recognized by the Israeli government. Thus, they receive no water, electricity and other fundamental services. Most of these communities have existed since before the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
The population of al-Arakib, which is around 76,000, settled near the place of the historical al-Arakiv after they abandoned nomadic life in 19th century. However, like many other Bedouin villages, it was destroyed after 1948. Since then, people from al-Arakib have tried to remain on their lands.
The Israeli government policy to destroy all Arab villages that are within the official land of Israel coincides with the government’s economic support to the Jewish farms that were built in the Negev during the last decade.
