Israeli bulldozers of the Israel Land Administration (ILA) have destroyed large swathes of agricultural crops belonging to Arabs living in the Negev. On Monday, the bulldozers, backed by a large force of armed police, continued for the second day in a row to raze thousands of acres belonging to citizens in El-Laqiya, Abu Kaf, Rahatm, Asherat El-Hazeel and other Arab villages not recognised by Israel. The destruction of agricultural livelihood is just part of the ongoing persecution exercised by the Israeli establishment against the Arabs of the Negev. Every year prior to the harvest, giant bulldozers belonging to the ILA are employed to devastate agricultural crops, turning the land from lush green to a deadened yellow. The tens of thousands of acres destroyed every year in the Negev are targeted on the grounds that the land is not legally owned by the Arabs there, even though it has often been in families for generations. The scene of repeated devastation is an emotional one for the farmers as they witness the machines wreak havoc on the crops they have patiently sowed and tended for months. In this way, rather than providing food, income and fodder for their livestock, the land is instead turned into a barren wasteland in a matter of hours. However, such bitter experiences also have positive fruits, and the depreciation of agricultural land in the Negev has instilled a sense of steadfastness and resilience in the local population. The repeated destruction has also deepened the Arabs belief in the sanctity of the land, explaining why land is considered to be the core of the conflict that continues to rage between the Israeli establishment and the people of the Negev.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:41:08 +0000
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