There’s no argument over the facts in Bir Hadaj. In 2003, the State of Israel decided to establish the township for hundreds of families from the Al-Azazma tribe that had taken over more than 20,000 dunams of state lands, and around 2,000 more dunams belonging to private Jewish owners.

 

Over the years, the State has offered each family a plot of 5 dunams (!) in the permanent settlement, but the families have preferred to remain on stolen lands. The planned settlement was almost devoid of residents, since they were all outside the proposed municipal lines. The squatters are scattered over huge swaths of land, in an area that has become ‘exterritorial’.

 

Israel Police forces enter the area only with massive reinforcements.

The decision to freeze enforcement in Bir Hadaj is shameful and makes a mockery of the rule of law. There is nowhere where the State has invested more resources, and made such efforts and proposals to legalize the area!

 

Freezing enforcement essentially rewards criminals, harms the rule of law, and contradicts pre-election promises of restoring governance in the Negev.