Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Protests over Israel Bedouin evictions

Protests have taken place in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip against an Israeli draft law aimed at evicting thousands of long-term Bedouin residents from the southern Negev desert.

Israel_bedouin_protest_epa.jpg
Bedouin youth built a make shift barricade during clashes which erupted after a protest of several hundred Bedouins and activists against the 'Prawer-Begin Bill' in the Bedouin village of Hura in the Negev Desert. (EPA

The government in January approved a bill calling for the relocation of 30,000-40,000 Bedouins, the demolition of about 40 villages and confiscation of more than 700,000 dunams (70,000 hectares) of Negev land.

The draft legislation was adopted by parliament in a first reading in June but it has to pass two more readings in the Knesset before it becomes law.

Israeli police said clashes broke out at the main demonstration Saturday in the Negev village of Houra where around 1,000 protesters had gathered as part of a campaign of "rage" against the bill.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Protesters rained stones on Israeli forces who dispersed the demonstrators, police spokeswoman Louba Samri said.

"Ten policemen were lightly hurt and 11 protesters were arrested," she added.

Protesters said they have appealed plans by Israel to evict them from their homes.

"People who have no land do not exist. We have been living here since before the creation of the state of Israel (1948)," said 70-year-old demonstrator Maqbul Saraya.

"We have submitted a complaint to the court but we feel that democracy and justice in Israel do not apply to us," he said.

Other demonstrations took place Saturday in Haifa, a town in northern Israel home to a large community of Israeli Arabs, as well as in Gaza City and in east Jerusalem, AFP correspondents said.

Six demonstrators were arrested in Haifa following clashes with police, Samri said.


2 min read

Published

Source: AFP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world