UN experts call on Israel to halt eviction of Bedouin village

UN rights experts said on Friday that Israel must immediately cease the eviction and demolition of a Bedouin village in the Naqab, the largest Palestinian historic district, which covers some 13,000 square kilometers. 

The Israeli plan could lead to the forcible displacement of 500 Bedouins in the village of Ras Jrabah village, which Israeli authorities do not officially recognize, according to UNHRC statement. 

The two special rapporteurs appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) warned that the Israeli step aims at increasing Jewish-only settlements, military bases, and other infrastructure projects in the interest of expanding the primarily Jewish city of Dimona. 

“Irreparable damage” to the minority community is what the experts, Fernand de Varennes and Balakrishnan Rajagopal, predicted the plan would result in, warning that the imminent eviction could distort the cultural practices and the traditional way of life of the Bedouin minority who have lived there for generations. 

Israel is seeking to forcibly displace the residents of Ras Jrabah and their families, calling them “trespassers”, and pushing them into barren Bedouin-only towns in order to achieve its expansion plans, the experts said. Targeting Bedouins and destroying their properties could threaten their livelihoods and relation to their lands.   

In May 2019, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) filed 10 eviction lawsuits against the inhabitants of the same village, making way for the expansion plan. The Magistrate Court in Beer Sheva, the Naqab’s main city, held hearings in the case on May 22 and 23, according to UNHRC. 

“Israel does not abide by any law or resolution,” Mohamed Mejahd Al-Zayat, a political analyst on Palestinian issues, told Jusoor Post. “Israel keeps on executing what has been planned regardless of the international community’s condemnation. Its international stance is worsening, but it is not a big deal for it.” 

Calls to cease the segregationist activities and practices have been raised by UN experts before, who describe it as a violation of the right to adequate housing and an act of discrimination. 

The Government of Israel has not responded to the calls, continuing its violations against the basic human rights of the Bedouin minority.