Activists Demand Release of Protesters at Negev Police Station

Activists protested outside a police station in Beer-Sheva, southern Israel on Wednesday night, demanding the release of four protesters. The same day, a court ordered the release of four protesters who were among 15 arrested Monday at a demonstration in the city against a government plan, “Prawer Plan,” to expel Arab-Bedouin from their land.

The “resettlement plan” was approved by the government in January and by the parliament in a first reading in June. Two more votes are expected. The plan calls for the relocation of 30,000-40,000 Bedouin, the demolition of about 40 villages and the confiscation of more than 700,000 dunams (70,000 hectares) of land in the Negev. More than half live in unrecognized villages without utilities and many also live in extreme poverty.

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