Article74 Magazine

No End to the Plight of
Iqrit and Bir'im Refugees?

In early December, Israel's prime minister Netanyahu expressed his opposition to a  recommendation by the Minister of Justice, Tsahi Hanegbi (Likud) in support of a settlement with the Palestinian villagers of Iqrit and Bir'im who were evicted in 1948. Hanegbi's recommendation was based on those issued by a special investigation committee set up by the former Labor-Meretz government and headed by then Minister of Justice, David Liba'i.

Iqrit and Bir'im are two Palestinian villages located in the nothern Galilee, close to the Lebanese border. Prior to their eviction in 1948, the approximately 500 inhabitants of Iqrit owned 24,722 dunums (24.72 sqkm) of land, Kafr Bir'im was inhabited by some 700 persons with 12,250 dunums (12.25 sqkm) of land. In both cases, the villages were not destroyed during the 1948 war, but villagers agreed to leave upon temporary military orders for security reasons but were prevented from returning. The villages were eventually destroyed and razed in the early 1950s, although the residents had obtained Israeli High Court decisions in favor of their return.

While Israeli parliamentarians and media are raising the issue now in the context of "return" and emphasize that it will be handled as a unique, one time measure which cannot serve as a precedent for other claims, the actual settlement suggested is far from meeting the principles and standards of what is commonly considered restitution. The number of returnees to the villages is restricted to one household and two descendents per family, the number of land provided to them will not exceed 600 dunum per village, and villagers returning will not be permitted to work in agriculture. Even if Netanyahu's opposition will be overcome, the villagers may - as in the past - reject this proposal aimed at legalizing Israel's land robbery of the past. [based on articles in Ha'aretz, 6/12]
 
 

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