Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas attacked National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday, repeating his claim that Ben Gvir has overseen the demolition of 5,700 illegal Bedouin homes in the Negev in the past year, compared to just four during the previous government. Abbas vowed to stop the demolitions if his party returns to power, escalating the ongoing political feud.
Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas escalated his public feud with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday (11:26 Jerusalem) by posting a social media poll asking followers to choose sides on the demolition issue, while repeating his claim that Ben Gvir has overseen the demolition of 5,700 illegal Bedouin homes in the Negev over the past year — compared to only four under the previous government.
The poll is the latest in a series of statements by Abbas on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, at 11:26 Jerusalem, he made the same claim in the Knesset plenum, as The Zioneer reported. The figure of 5,700 was first touted by Ben Gvir himself at a local government conference on June 24, according to a The Zioneer report from that date. Ben Gvir vowed to intensify enforcement, while Abbas and his party have made halting demolitions a central platform.
The backdrop to the dispute is the deep polarization over demolition policy in the Negev's Bedouin communities, which have long contested state authority. The Zioneer has previously reported on the security situation in the region, including a video from June 14 depicting gunfire in Rahat, and a confrontation between Ben Gvir and an activist at a Knesset hearing on July 8.
The accuracy of the 5,700 figure remains unverified by independent sources, and both sides have used it for political gain. Whether the feud will affect coalition dynamics — particularly given Ra'am's role in negotiations — remains to be seen.
4 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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