Sunday's clash in Musmus
Photo: Courtesy of PLS48.net
Musmus residents vow to rebuild razed home
Residents of Wadi Ara village continue protesting Sunday's demolition of illegal structure. Head of Higher Arab Monitoring Committee urges Interior Ministry to suspend future orders
Dozens of residents gathered in the village of Musmus in the northern Israeli region of Wadi Ara on Monday to protest the demolition of a local illegal structure.
The building in question was torn down on Sunday – a move which sparked clashes between village residents and police forces. Five women were lightly injured during the clash.
Clashes
Sharon Roffe – Ofir
Five women lightly injured when Interior Ministry workers arrive at Musmus village with police reinforcements to carry out demolition order against illegal structure, use crowd control means against residents barricaded inside building
"You cannot treat the Arab public like this. There were hundreds of people on the premises, doing nothing wrong, and the police used excessive force," he said.
Zedan claims the authorities' treatment of building violations is discriminatory: "I want the police to act like this when they are evicting a West Bank settlement, where the real delinquents are," he told Ynet.
"It is high time that a real solution is found for these poor people. The zoning plan should be revised instead of tearing down their homes. I urge the interior minister to suspend demolition orders."
Muhammad Agbaria, a member of the village council told Ynet that the home in question was built on private land: "We are not squatters and we didn’t break the law.
"The State is pushing us into a corner. We are seeing a dangerous trend of demolitions in Wadi Ara and we call on the Arab population to stand by the people whose homes are being torn down.
"We have only one message for the establishment," he concluded. "You will tear down and we will rebuild. This will not be ignored."
