National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told opposition lawmakers on Wednesday that he has demolished 5,700 unauthorized Bedouin homes in the Negev over the past year, compared to four under his predecessor, and claimed that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara belongs in prison.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir directed a new statement at opposition lawmakers on Wednesday evening, repeating his claim that he has demolished 5,700 unauthorized Bedouin homes in the Negev over the past year, and calling for the imprisonment of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The remarks came hours after Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas escalated his attacks on Ben Gvir, repeating the same demolition figure and vowing to stop the demolitions if his party returns to power. Ben Gvir's latest comments add a personal attack on the attorney general, whom he has previously criticized.
The demolition figure of 5,700 homes has been a recurring theme in the ongoing political feud between Ben Gvir and Abbas. The Zioneer first reported on Wednesday at 11:26 Jerusalem that Abbas claimed only four homes were demolished under the previous government, compared to 5,700 this year. Abbas later posted a social media poll on the dispute, and then addressed the Knesset plenum with the same claim. Ben Gvir first cited the 5,700 figure at a local government conference on June 24, as The Zioneer reported at 12:49 Jerusalem that day.
The backdrop to the dispute is a broader political clash over demolition policy in Bedouin communities. Abbas has accused Ben Gvir of conducting a 'destruction campaign' and has promised to reverse it if his party returns to power. Ben Gvir has pledged to intensify demolitions, saying 'whoever builds illegally — there is no reason that in the [Bedouin] diaspora they won't touch their portion.'
The figure of 5,700 demolitions, which Ben Gvir has now cited at least three times, has not been confirmed by official data. Ben Gvir's Wednesday evening statement to opposition members was reported by a single source and has not been independently verified.
5 developments
- DevelopingBen Gvir pledges to demolish unauthorized Bedouin homes, claims 5,700 razed in past year
- DevelopingBen Gvir confronts left-wing activist at Knesset hearing, threatens demolition
- Developing1,500 Bedouin residents protest home demolitions in Be'er Sheva
- DevelopingBen Gvir's governance in the Negev: unrelenting fire from Rahat, children fleeing for their lives
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