BICOM

Differing versions of events emerged after yesterday’s violence in Umm al-Hiran, a Bedouin village in the southern Negev region where two people were killed during a planned home demolition.

A general strike is due to take place today in Arab communities to protest the home demolitions. The High Court turned down an appeal last year against the demolitions, which will make way for plans to build a new town on the site, with residents offered 800-square meter family plots nearby.

Violence erupted yesterday after Israeli security forces arrived early in the morning to carry out the court-ordered demolition of several homes. As demonstrators arrived, a vehicle was driven into Israeli officers, killing 34-year-old policeman, Erez Levi. Officers opened fire and killed the driver, Yacoub Abu al Kiyan, a 47-year-old teacher from the village.

Israeli police described the incident as an act of terrorism and said that “officers responded and the terrorist was neutralised”. Demonstrators at the scene described a different version of events and said that al Kiyan was shot before losing control of the vehicle. Video footage is inconclusive.

Following the two deaths, violence continued and several MKs from the Joint Arab List arrived on the scene. In the initial scuffles, Joint Arab List Chairman, MK Ayman Odeh was injured. He claimed to have been struck by a rubber bullet but Israeli police said he had been hit by rocks thrown by demonstrators.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the Knesset members saying: “I ask everyone, especially members of the Knesset, to be responsible, to stop fanning emotions and inciting toward violence.”

Odeh pointed the finger at Netanyahu, saying that an agreement had essentially been reached in talks which he attended with residents of Umm al-Hiran, but that “Netanyahu, who has already marked the Arab population as public enemy number one, cruelly decided to destroy an entire village”.

The policeman killed in the violence was buried yesterday. Levi joined the police in 2002 and was recognised for distinguished service in 2012. He was married with two young children.