Arab Israeli Mp Calls For Tuesday Strike, Demonstration

Arab Member of Knesset (Israeli parliament) Ayman Odeh on Monday urged Israeli Arabs to stage a general strike the following day to protest the razing of Arabs' houses by Israeli authorities.



"We urge our people to make the general strike successful," Odeh said on Facebook on Tuesday.



The strike was called for by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab citizens of Israel, which represents the interests of Israeli Arabs in the self-proclaimed Jewish state.



It also called for a massive demonstration in Tel Aviv to protest a series of demolitions targeting Arab-owned houses.



"We also call on all citizens, Arabs and Jews alike, and anyone who sees himself as a democratic individual who seeks justice and truth to join this struggle by participating in Tuesday's demonstration in Tel Aviv," he said.



In a Monday statement, the committee said: "It has become clear that the Israeli regime and its current fascist government have declared the war of razing Arab homes through a recent, systematic escalation of demolishing houses under the pretext of unlicensed construction."



Israeli authorities have recently razed houses in southern Negev region of Israel, Kafr Kanna in the north and several other locations, which stirred angry reactions from the Arab community.



Israel refers to Palestinians who remained in historical Palestine following the creation of Israel in 1948 as "Israeli Arabs."



There are around 1.6 million Arabs in Israel who account for around 20 percent of the country's total population, according to official Israeli figures.



www.aa.com.tr/en - İsrail