Bedouin in Negev rioted over TuBeshvat tree-planting, and once again, government caves

The Islamists now wagging the tail of the dog practically encouraged riots by Bedouin against the Jewish National Fund's tree planting for the TuBeshvat holiday:

Rioting by Bedouin residents of the Negev that began Tuesday night in protest over JNF-KKL teams planting trees continued overnight Thursday. Rioters threw rocks at the car of a security guard who was on his way to Tel Sheva. The guard managed to seek cover at a police checkpoint, but his car was set on fire.

In a separate incident, a police officer sustained minor wounds after rioters threw rocks at a police car on Highway 80, near the Nevatim air force base, breaking its windows. The officer was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Here's more on the news:

Hundreds of Bedouin protesters clashed with police on Thursday afternoon for the third day in a row over a controversial forestation project in the Negev Desert, despite reports indicating the government was seeking a compromise.

The demonstrators blocked the Route 31 highway near the southern village of Sawe al-Atrash, and some hurled stones at officers, according to police.

[...] Police said 13 people were arrested at Thursday’s protest.

[...] Citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, the Kan public broadcaster reported Wednesday that an “unprecedented” plan was to be advanced by the government that would include recognition of 10 to 12 Bedouin villages that are currently illegal.

The report said that planned planting in the most contentious areas — where the Bedouin al-Atrash clan lives — won’t resume next week to give the negotiations a chance to progress, though it will resume elsewhere.

In other words, now they're going to cave to violence, validating supposed villages that weren't built with the proper permits. This is as atrocious as it's sad.

Sara Haetzni Cohen commented on the resulting dhimmitude that led to this:

Throughout Zionist history, the Jewish National Fund planted trees in order to preserve the land for future use. As in the past, so too today, it is meant to preserve areas from illegal construction. This week as well, the JNF began to prepare the land in the Negev for tree planting.

The matter was debated last year and was even approved by the Supreme Court of Justice. The area is disputed, with a Bedouin tribe claiming it has ownership, but the government wanting to register it as state land. However, since the tribe was never able to prove it owns the land, planting the trees is the most minimal step the government can take to prevent its overtake.

Tree-planting is also easily reversible. If the tribe ever proves the land belongs to it, it will be able to decide whether to keep or uproot the trees. One thing is clear, even to the Supreme Court: unless trees are planted in the area, it will be lost.

But unfortunately, the Israeli government gave in to violence again.

The planting stopped and the violent demonstrators won. The same Bedouins who earlier in the week threw stones at a train with the intent to cause a massive accident, the same Bedouins who set the Jews' cars on fire, who smashed cars and busses, threw rocks and Molotov cocktails, and burnt tires. These people achieved their goal.

And it's disgusting.

The Jerusalem Post editorial, however, took a very pathetic approach to how they covered this whole incident:

It’s a classic case study of competing narratives from which all sides can learn a lesson. On the one hand, Israel has every right to exert its sovereignty within its territory, conduct forestation projects and plant trees wherever it wants on state land – including the Negev. On the other, the local Bedouin communities see the tree-planting on land they use for farming as part of an ongoing government campaign to expel them from their unrecognized homes. It’s the government’s job to negotiate a path between the two.

If there's no valid legal files to prove ownership, the Post cannot pretend as though there are. Yet the problem here is that they're acting as though the Bedouin clans actually have some sort of valid claim, without even confirming whether such legal documents exist. It's reason enough to boycott the paper, which has otherwise proven an utmost embarrassment for the English-language press in this country.