Israeli Arabs Protest Tel Aviv Home Demolitions

Hundreds of Israeli Arabs protested Tuesday in Tel Aviv's Yitzhak Rabin Square against the recent demolition of a number of Arab homes by the Israel authorities, according to eyewitnesses.



Hundreds of Israeli Arabs converged on the square waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners condemning Israel's longstanding policy of razing Arab homes on the pretext that they were built without authorization, eyewitnesses told The Anadolu Agency.



All of Israel's Israeli-Arab political parties participated in the protests, which came in response to calls by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel.



The committee advocates for the rights of Palestinians living in the self-proclaimed Jewish state.



Protesters called for a halt to Israel's home demolition policy, which – if it continues at the current rate – will see tens of thousands of Arab-owned homes razed to the ground in coming years.



In a show of Palestinian perseverance, they also pledged to rebuild every home demolished by Israel.



Israeli authorities recently razed a number of Arab-owned structures in the southern Negev region, in Kafr Kanna in the north, and in several other locations, drawing the ire of the Israeli Arab community.



The term "Israeli Arab" is used to denote Palestinians who remained in historical Palestine following the creation of Israel in 1948.



Some 1.6 million Arabs currently live in Israel, accounting for roughly 20 percent of the country's total population, according to official Israeli figures.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Tel Aviv