Why Israel wants these bedouins to pay for their village's demolition

After demolishing the unrecognized Bedouin village of al-Araqib in the Negev region for the 96th time since 2010, Israel is now seeking for villagers to pay damages in compensation for the recurrent demolition work in a bid to force them out and implement the Prawer Plan.
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Bedouins build a makeshift house in al-Araqib, a Bedouin village in the Negev Desert that has been razed dozens of times, north of the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, July 21, 2011. - ENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images
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Ahmad Melhem
@ahmadme44502893
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RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Bedouin al-Araqib village (status unrecognized by Israel) in the Negev (Naqab) region is facing an ongoing demolition campaign that started on the morning of June 27, 2010, when the whole village was flattened to the ground. Since then, demolition work has been recurring each time the inhabitants set up new tents, with Israel claiming lack of permits. The latest incident took place April 5 and was the 96th to date.

Before the demolition campaign started in 2010, Araqib had a population of 400. The number is now down to 22 families (80 people) after some inhabitants were forced to leave the village.

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