Israel plan to displace 36,000 Arabs in Negev

January 29, 2019 at 12:40 pm | Published in: Israel, Middle East, News, Palestine 

January 29, 2019 at 12:40 pm source : Middle East Monitor

Israeli Agriculture and Negev Development Minister Ori Ariel has completed a plan to displace about 36,000 Arabs from their “unrecognised” villages in the Negev, Arab48 reported yesterday.

Reporting Israel Hayom, Arab48 said that the Israeli government is to start implementation of the plan this year if it gets approved, and it needs four years to be completed.

Israel, according to the plan, is going to build infrastructure and security projects that necessitate the displacement of the Arab residents.

The estimated area of land planned to be confiscated in favour of these projects is 260,000 dunams (260 square kilometres), making it the largest ever land confiscation by Israel since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948.

READ: Israel to demolish dozens of Arab-owned houses in Negev

Partial displacement of the Palestinian villagers is expected to start this year, starting from the north of Route 31. Full displacement to start in 2021.

The unrecognised villages are not shown on the map of Israel and the Israeli authorities do not supply them with their basic services, including water and electricity.

Israel does not recognise the inhabitants of these villages or their right to their land, which they inherited from their fathers and grandfathers, instead claiming the area is “state-owned” land.