AKEL strongly denounces the treatment of Israel’s Arab community
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th January 2017, Nicosia
Over the past few days the Arab community in Israel has again become a victim of the growing political discrimination exerted against it. On the pretext of homes and structures allegedly built without permits, Israeli authorities began demolishing homes in the Arab city of Qalansawe in central Israel and on Wednesday in the Arab-Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev desert in the south. The aim of the Israeli authorities is to move the Bedouins and to build a Jewish settlement on lands belonging to the villagers. Two people have been killed, one was the teacher of the village. At the same time, the police attacked the unarmed residents and fired rubber bullets injuring the Member of the Knesset Parliament Ayman Odeh (HADASH), leader of the “Joint List”, the third largest parliamentary group in the Knesset, and a second member of the same group.
AKEL denounces in the strongest possible terms the ongoing discriminations against and treatment of the Arab community, the Arab citizens of Israel, by the very state of which they are citizens of. It expresses its solidarity with the just claims and assertions of the Arab community which is struggling through political means to gain equal rights and treatment.
AKEL denounces the attack and the wounding of the Joint List Members of parliament who were trying to intervene in order to prevent clashes.
This behavior by the State of Israel does not contribute to the prospect of peaceful coexistence between all citizens, regardless of ethnic or religious origin which is the only way to safeguard the future for all.
