Yamina members at Likiya
Yamina members at LikiyaNone

Police today attached increased IDF security to a delegation of Yamina Party members headed by Chairman Naftali Bennett, who are touring the Negev seeking to observe first-hand the Bedouin settlement in Likiya.

Earlier, Bennett's security guards banned the former minister and party members from visiting Likiya and observing because of fears of Bedouin rioting in the area.

Yamina said in response to the directive, "We will arrive at the observation point in Likiya. It is inconceivable that Knesset Members cannot tour the Negev."

Local protesters arrived against Regavim movement activity in the south and against house demolitions by the police. Among other things, the protesters carried signs saying "Regavim are criminals" and "House demolition is not a solution".

Former Knesset Member Taleb al-Sana also arrived at the scene to confront the Yamina delegation. MK Betzalel Smotrich urged a-Sana to stop prevaricating and "tell the truth".

The Joint Arab List said in reaction to Yamina's fact-finding mission: "Arab residents of the Negev suffer from State bullying that includes expulsion from their houses and lands, demolishing thousands of houses a year, neglecting and preventing essential infrastructure such as water, sewage, and electricity, field and produce destruction, incitement, and more." The Yamina and Regavim people are a bunch of extremist racists who incite with one hand and steal Arab residents land with the other.

"The Arab residents of the Negev did not take over State land. It is the State that rose up and expelled them from their lands. We will continue to fight for full recognition of all Arab-Bedouin communities in the Negev and for full equality," added the Joint Arab List.

ח"כ סמוטריץ בעימות עם טאלב א' סנע