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Letter to embassies


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The "Ambassadors' Forest" is being planted by force on the lands of the Bedouin Citizens of Israel, an act involving dispossessing the owners of these lands, including agricultural lands, and a severe violation of their property rights.

To all Ambassadors accredited to Israel.

Your Excellencies

I would like to draw your attention to "The Ambassadors’ Forest” which is in the process of being created in the Negev, by the Government of Israel and the Jewish National Fund. Seemingly a worthy act of , according respect to members of the diplomatic corps, except that this forest is being planted by force on the lands of the Bedouin Citizens of Israel, an act involving dispossessing the owners of these lands, including agricultural lands, and a severe violation of their property rights. An example was the attempt made on Sunday this week (December 10, which is the International Human Rights Day!) to get bulldozers working on the land of the undersigned, who of course opposed this act as he opposes all infringements of the Negev Bedouin population’s rights. We oppose the turning of agricultural land into a forest bearing the name of the Ambassadors.

I call upon each and every one of you to dissociate yourselves clearly and unambiguously from this use made of your names and reputations to perpetrate an act of injustice. Please help us maintain our rights as an indigenous civilian population.

Sincerely Yours

Nori Al-Okbi Chair, Association for Defence of Bedouin Rights in Israel POB 5212, Be’er Sheba, ph, 054-5465556.