Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to push ahead the demolition of homes belonging to Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, as well as Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, in “an attempt to appease the right for the expected evacuation of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona.”

Demolition of an Arab home in occupied East Jerusalem (Photo: Al Ittihad)

According governmental sources: “During talks led by Netanyahu in the last two weeks with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, the premier instructed that demolition orders be enforced over the next few days in Arab towns in southern and northern Israel as well as East Jerusalem.”

Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, chair of the Joint List, slammed the move. “All this prime minister knows is incitement and hate,” he said. “He compares the Amona settlers, who robbed and stole land from people living with no civilian rights, to Arab citizens of Israel who build on their land, but are forced to do so without permits because government agencies don’t approve master plans.”

Odeh added that for months Netanyahu’s government has been preoccupied with nothing but finding a way to “legalize” the status of 40 settler families in Amona, who stole private Palestinian lands, “but 40 unrecognized villages in the Negev, which have been there from before Israel was established, Netanyahu didn’t even think of legalizing.”