Bedouins: Pullout foes slashed our tires

Local official: At least 50 cars vandalized in Be'er Sheva. Police: Only 10 people have complained, motive unclear

Reuters | Published: 08.12.05, 00:45

A spate of tire puncture attacks on Bedouin-owned cars in Be'er Sheva has left residents in the south of the country on edge.

“Opponents to the disengagement punctured our tires. For years we’ve had excellent relations with the Jews, and only they (anti-pullout activists) could be responsible,” said Hasin Hasin a-Rafaya, head of the council of unrecognized Bedouin villages.

Rafaya said the tires of at least 50 vehicles owned by Bedouins have been slashed, and that tire shops in Be'er Sheva are overwhelmed as a result. However, police say that only 10 complaints have been received, with a few more cases of tire punctures discovered in the subsequent investigation.

“Only a few people went to the police,” explains Rafaya. “I saw with my own eyes 10 damaged vehicles, and I myself have replaced four tires. Those that are trying to harm us attacked only vehicles with Arabic stickers, or cars that were definitely recognized as belonging to Arabs,” he said.

Police: No suspects at this time

Rafaya reported the incidents to Be’er Sheva police immediately after discovering the damage. “I found my car damaged in the parking lot, along with two other vehicles. I called the police with the other vehicle owners and reported the damage. I have advised everyone who has been affected to report the matter, but I understand that only one other person has come forward, since most did not think that contacting the police would help.”

The police have said in a statement that “there are no suspects as of yet in connectino with the incident, and the motive has not yet been determined.”