Home Demolitions and State-Minority Relations: The Events in...
Home Demolitions and State-Minority Relations: The Events in Qalansawe and Umm Al Hiran
Task Force Update
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In mid-January, two highly publicized demolitions of homes took place in the Arab localities of Qalansawe and Umm Al Hiran in Israel, resulting in the tragic deaths of one Israeli police officer and one Arab Bedouin teacher. The confrontations ignited Arab protests and two general strikes and have brought tensions around land and housing, some of the most sensitive issues between the state and its Arab minority, to a head.
The following update briefly summarizes the sequence of events, the questions they have raised related to the government frameworks for resolving land and planning issues, and the broader context contributing to heightened tensions.