National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday clashed with MK Waleed Alhwashla (Ra’am) in the Knesset plenum, on the issue of law enforcement and the demolition of illegal Bedouin homes in the Negev.
Alhwashla claimed that "instead of the government providing solutions to the people, it deepens the problems". Ben Gvir responded, "I am looking after you, that there will be a policy of demolishing illegal homes. Do you look after all the Bedouin? You don't care about the Bedouin."
Alhwashla replied, "What alternatives do you give the people?" to which Ben Gvir responded, "Whoever builds illegally, whoever builds on someone else's land, that home needs to be demolished. Finally there is someone who is starting to take care of it, who is saying that a law is a law - and who enforces the law."
The Ra’am MK then asked what should a family do if their home, which was built illegally, is demolished. "They shouldn’t have broken the law!" replied Ben Gvir.
"You only understand the language of force, and this language doesn't help you. You have to stop these demolitions, come to see how they destroy the Negev," Alwashla charged.
Ben Gvir fired back, "What are you talking about? Let everyone build? Turn into the Wild West? In my ministry, we enforce the law. The situation with [former Minister] Omer Barlev is over. My job is to enforce the law."
At the end of the confrontation, Alhwashla said, "Our demand is that this babbling minister be fired. He is not leading anywhere, he is leading towards ruin and destruction in Arab society."
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