addition to my op-ed piece about demolitions

For those of you who read my Op-Ed about home demolitions...........Below is a bit more information about the plan to demolish the homes of approximately 30,000 Bedouins in Israel. Please sign the petition. The links are below It just might make a difference between these people staying in their homes and on their land or being kicked off...........let our voices be loud and strong from all corners of the world. THANKS!!

Noreen

Dear friends around Israel,

We only have 4 days to stop a government bill that would drive over 30 thousand Bedouins from their homes and confiscate their lands in the Negev. The government allows the public to comment on the bill till this weekend -- Let's flood it with opposition to halt this shameful discrimination! Click to send your direct message to the government: send a message
We only have 4 days to stop a government bill that would drive over 30 thousand Bedouins from their homes and confiscate their land in the Negev.

The Bedouin community is fighting this disgraceful discrimination, but they need our help. Here's our chance -- the government has set up a public consultation on the plan -- if we flood it with opposition we can halt this shameful marginalization.

We have to act fast -- the government only allows submissions until the end of this week. Let's stand with our Bedouin sisters and brothers now and inundate the system with our rejection of the plan. Click below to submit your public comment directly to Minister Begin and forward this to everyone you know:

The Prawer Plan claims to regulate the Bedouin residence in the Negev. But in fact it will confiscate their lands, and force the bedouins, which are 30% of the Negev population, to crowd in only 1% of the land - a U turn from a former recommendation to the government to recognize the 35 unrecognized bedouin villages in the Negev. The communities are already suffering without proper infrastructure, electricity and water and this plan will only perpetuate the severe discrimination of Israel's most marginalized community.

The plan was devised and approved by the government without any involvement of Bedouin representatives -- they are being treated as a security hazard and not as citizens with equal rights. Now is our only chance to influence this outrageous plan, before it will be brought to the Knesset table. Click below now to send a direct message to Minister Begin who is in charge of of the plan and make sure the public outrage is heard:

The Bedouin community has been fighting this plan for months, but this is an attack on basic citizen's rights and is a threat to all of us. Let's use the formal government consultation to crush this attempt to legalize discrimination. It is time to join the Bedouin call for social justice for all and prove that the spirit and solidarity of the summer protest is alive and kicking.

With hope and determination,

Raluca in Israel, alice and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

ACRI calls the government to halt the Prawer plan
Bahrain doctors to be tried for helping protesters
http://www.acri.org.il/en/2011/09/01/acri-calls-on-government-to-halt-pr...

Principles for Arranging Recognition of Bedouin Villages in the Negev- position paper by Bimkom, ACRI and Regional Council of Unrecognized Bedouin Villages
http://www.acri.org.il/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Prawer-Policy-Paper...

Bedouin protest relocation plans, Village receives eviction notice - 972 Magazine
http://972mag.com/bedouin-protest-israels-relocation-plans-village-recei...

Goldberg Committee: Gov't should formally recognize Bedouin villages in the Negev - Ha'aretz
http://www.haaretz.com/news/committee-gov-t-should-formally-recognize-be...