Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel has called for a no-tolerance policy for Bedouin rioters "protesting" JNF tree planting in the Negev.
"We must not forgive or excuse these riots," Hendel said. "The loss of governance in the Negev and the Galilee over the past decade and the weak policies of the Likud party are no excuse for what is happening now. We have a government here and we have no other option than to restore sovereignty to the Negev."