Israel to destroy dead soldier's home

Occupied Jerusalem: The Israeli Ministry of Interior had already issued its decision to demolish the home of the Bedouin soldier, Sergeant Menhash Al Banyat by the time news of his death had spread.

Al Banyat was killed in a trap that Hamas set up for Israeli forces during clashes in the Gaza Strip where the 21-year-old soldier was serving in the Givati unit.

The soldier who was due to get married next month, had built his home in an unauthorised village in the Negev region, which was captured by Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The Israeli Interior Ministry considers the act of building a house illegal if one does not obtain the necessary licences. Attiyah Al A'sam, the representative of the unauthorised village in Negev, explained how impossible it was to get the licences that the ministry required.

"The Israeli authorities refuse to acknowledge the Bedouin villages despite the fact that the number of these villages is more than 51 and approximately 85,000 people lived there years before the establishment of Israel," said Al A'sam. He added, "However these villages do not exist on the Israeli map. Israel puts all its efforts into the removal of the Bedouins from their homes, so it can take control over the territories that belong to the Bed-ouins in Negev."

"Israel forbids the provision of essential services like water, electricity, medical facilities at those Bedouin villages ... it only destroys houses and burns fields," Al A'sam told Gulf News. The Chairman of the Bedouin Soldiers Organisation, Fasil Abu Nadi explained, "Although the Bedouin soldiers serve the Israeli military and get killed defending Israel, the official authorities consider them third-degree citizens. This, as a result, was negatively reflected on the percentage of recruited Bedouins, which has decreased ... this year."

"How are we supposed to convince the Bedouin youth to join compulsory service when Israeli authorities ... destroy their tribe's homes, burn their fields and do not provide them with services?" said Abu Nadi.

According to Israeli military statistics, 390 Bedouin youth from the Negev and Al Jalil were recruited in 2006, in comparison to 490 recruited in 2005. Most of the youth serve in the trace unit, although they are not obliged to serve in the army as is the case with the Druze and Circassian communities who serve in units of their choice. Their conditions are far better than the Bedouin soldiers who suffer from social isolation in their villages and are often buried in secrecy.

Although the Bedouin soldiers serve the Israeli military and get killed defending Israel, the official authorities consider them third-degree citizens."

Fasil Abu Nadi

Chairman, Bedouin Soldiers Organisation