Affrontements à Haifa – mai 2010
Druze continue to riot, hurl stones at police
Israel News
Three police officers lightly wounded in clashes over gas line laid on disputed land
Ahiya Raved
After several hours of tense calm, clashes on Route 70 erupted again on Tuesday between Druze protesters and special police forces trying to keep the road open to traffic.
The protesters on the site are hurling stones at law enforcement officials. Three policemen were injured, including one officer.
The Druze demonstrators are protesting against the laying of a natural gas pipeline on lands belonging to them before the completion of negotiations over compensation.
Since Tuesday morning, the protesters partially blocked Route 70 from HaAmakim Junction to Tishbi Junction.
The clashes brought to the surface internal struggles within the Druze community pitting more moderate sheikhs, led by spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif, against more extreme sheikhs, led by Sheikh Imad, who is one of the land owners of the disputed lots.
Sheikh Ali Moadi Mirqa, who is in Sheikh Imad’s camp, told Ynet: « We are not against Jews and not against the State. We are part of the country. We established it, but we will not move from here until there is an agreement on each dunam. We will stay here for as long as needed. A day, two days, five days. This is our land. We don’t have any land left. Since the establishment of the State, 84% of the Druze land have been expropriated. »
Another protester, Zaher Rafat Zaher, said: « We are willing to die for our land. »
12 Policemen Wounded as Druze Block Traffic for 10 Hours
israelnationalnews.com
5 5 2010
by Gil Ronen
Highway 70 east of Haifa was blocked for ten hours Tuesday by members of the Druze minority, who are unhappy with the compensation the state has offered them for expropriated agricultural land. The land was taken for laying a natural gas pipeline. 12 policemen were hurt in the riots; four of them required evacuation to a hospital.
The rioters blocked the highway between HaAmakim and HaTishbi junctions, between Megiddo and Haifa, causing massive traffic jams. It was evening before police managed to push them out of the road, but the Druze continued to crowd near the road, threatening to block it again.
The Druze say the compensation they were offered is unfair and accuse the state of “betraying” them despite what they say is their loyalty and the fact that they serve in the IDF.
A three kilometer stretch of the pipeline passes through land owned by Druze agriculturalists. A compensation contract for the expropriated land was recently signed, after Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara negotiated an agreement between the state and the Druze.
This week, however, the Druze announced that they were unhappy with the agreement they had signed. Official sources said that the agreement actually gives the Druze higher compensation than that offered to other agriculturalists in the area. (IsraelNationalNews.com)
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