Can you imagine your family’s home being demolished in order to make way for a new suburb? This is exactly the situation facing the Bedouin residents of Ras Jrabah in the Negev.

A ruling by the Be’er Sheva Magistrate Court declared that the 500 residents of Ras Jrabah must evacuate their village by March 2024. But NIF grantee Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel is in the process of appealing this ruling to the District Court. The Negev village, which predates the establishment of Israel, is slated to be demolished to make way for a new suburb for the nearby Jewish city of Dimona.

The court ruled on ten eviction lawsuits filed by the Israel Land Authority (ILA) against the 127 residents of Ras Jrabah and their families. The court also instructed the residents to pay $31,700 in court costs to cover legal expenses.

“The court’s decision provides compelling evidence of Israel’s perpetration of the crime of apartheid,” Adalah said.