Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel have been called to conduct a general strike today, Wednesday, January 11, after Israeli authorities demolished 11 buildings yesterday, Tuesday, in the Arab city of Qalansawe in central Israel.

Home demolitions in Qalansawe, a Palestinian-Arab city in central Israel, Tuesday, January 10, 2017 (Photo: Al Ittihad)

Witnesses said that owners and other residents tried to block the bulldozers in an attempt to stop them from demolishing the homes, but Israeli police had cordoned off the area and arrested a young man during clashes. Mayor Mahmoud Kahdega visited the area along with members of the municipal council and, as Israeli bulldozers razed the homes to ground, announced he would resign from his post. Mansour told reporters that, “We have been waiting for approval of a master plan for twenty years, but our requests gave fallen on deaf ears. As head of the Qalansawe municipality, who has no power to change a thing, I’ve decided to send my resignation to the Ministry of the Interior.”

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens, which represents Palestinian-Arabs living in Israel, called for the strike in response to the demolitions. In a statement, the committee held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally responsible for the demolition of the homes, which the Israeli authorities claim were built without permits. “One thing is required: that we be strong in our response, not just with condemnations but mainly by preventing more demolitions of homes in the coming weeks,” Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) wrote on Facebook.