Adalah opposes Committee approval of Prawer-Begin Bill

Adalah vehemently opposes the approval of the proposed Prawer-Begin Bill by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on 6 May 2013. The bill threatens to displace tens of thousands of Palestinian Bedouin from their land and homes, and is part of an overall racist policy against Palestinian citizens of Israel. 

According to media reports, the Ministerial Committee on Legislation endorsed the bill with several conditions, and will officially vote on the bill in two weeks. The official announcement or protocol of the meeting has not been released to date.

Committee reservations to bill only increase discrimination

The Committee endorsed the proposed Prawer-Begin Law with three conditions:

1)      To identify and limit the areas in the Naqab (Negev) to be used in the land compensation scheme with a clear and detailed map;

2)      To reduce the timeframe for implementation of the law from five to three years;

3)      To appoint a government committee, likely chaired by Minister of Housing and Building Uri Ariel, to oversee the plan’s implementation.

In addition, the bill will not be voted on in the Knesset until the Finance Minister provides 250 new police officers to implement the Prawer Plan.

Government refuses to consider alternatives

With the approval of the Prawer-Begin Plan, the government has seemingly shut all doors to productive dialogue. Instead, the government should cancel the Plan and open meaningful discussions around the Alternative Plan, proposed by the Arab Bedouin community with the support of local civil society.

The approval of the Prawer-Begin bill legitimizes the government’s policy of confiscation and control. The plan violates the constitutional rights of the Arab Bedouin citizens of to property, housing, and equality and dignity.

Photo: The village of Al-Araqib in the Negev/Naqab has been demolished 49 times since July 2010 to make way for forests. Photo courtesy of ActiveStills.