At least 100 protesters are rallying at the entrance to the city of Qalansawe, a day after 11 structures were destroyed for lacking proper permits.
The protest comes after a day that saw Arab Israelis across the country go on strike to protest the demolitions and what they say is discrimination by the Jewish state that makes it impossible for them to obtain planning permission to expand their communities, thus necessitating the illegal building.
Mohammad Barakeh, the head of an Arab Israeli umbrella organisation and a former MP, tells AFP that strike observance “exceeded expectations.”
“There was an excellent response in all Arab villages and towns,” he says.
The Joint List, a coalition of predominantly Arab parties, condemned Tuesday’s demolitions.
“The act of demolishing 11 houses, whose owners built on their private lands in Qalansawe, is an unprecedented crime and a declaration of war against the residents of Qalansawe and against the Arab community in Israel,” it says.
— AFP contributed
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