Druze community leaders claimed after the meeting that the turbines would stop immediately while Ben-Gvir said that they will stop just on the Eid al-Adha holiday
Adi Hashmonai Josh BreinerJun 22, 2023
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Thursday that he and the leaders of the Druze community have agreed that construction of wind turbines in the Golan Heights will temporarily halt during the Eid al-Adha holiday.
Energix, who is working on building the turbines, also claimed that work would resume Friday morning until the start of the holiday on Tuesday. However, contrary to Ben-Gvir’s claims, Druze community leaders claimed after the meeting that the turbines would stop immediately. According to sources familiar with the details, work will not resume until the end of the holiday.
A statement released on behalf of Ben-Gvir, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, and the Druze community leaders, said “Governance is important to all of us, the project will continue, and Israel will not surrender to those who throw Molotov cocktails and stones, and the Sheikh also unequivocally opposes it.”
A statement issued by the Druze said: “Representatives of the Druze community and government representatives will convene in the coming weeks in an attempt to reach an agreement.”
Earlier, the leaders of the Druze community submitted their demands to Ben-Gvir in light of the clashes that erupted between thousands of Druze protesters and the police on Wednesday. Among other things, community leaders demanded the repeal of the Nation-State Law, to anchor the status of the Druze community in the law and to immediately stop the infrastructure work for the construction of the wind turbines in the Golan Heights, over which the conflicts broke out.
Earlier, the leaders of the Druze community submitted their demands to Ben-Gvir in light of the clashes that erupted between thousands of Druze protesters and the police on Wednesday. Among other things, community leaders demanded the repeal of the Nation-State Law, to anchor the status of the Druze community in the law and to immediately stop the infrastructure work for the construction of the wind turbines in the Golan Heights, over which the conflicts broke out.
Earlier, the leaders of the Druze community submitted their demands to Ben-Gvir in light of the clashes that erupted between thousands of Druze protesters and the police on Wednesday. Among other things, community leaders demanded the repeal of the Nation-State Law, to anchor the status of the Druze community in the law and to immediately stop the infrastructure work for the construction of the wind turbines in the Golan Heights, over which the conflicts broke out.
“The Nation-State Law harmed the community’s sense of belonging,” the community leaders wrote. “The harm is felt among young people who feel that their Israeliness has been taken away from them. The wound caused by the Nation-State Law has not healed to this day,” they added.
Wednesday’s clashes with police, during demonstrations against the construction of wind turbines in the area, five people were arrested, and two were seriously wounded. Additionally, hundreds of protesters besieged the Masadeh police station, some of whom broke into the building and assaulted the officers. Others fired firecrackers at officers and hurled stones. Police stated that several officers were wounded from the stone throwing, and advised the public to avoid traveling to the Golan Heights.
Work on the wind turbines, carried out by the Energix company, began on Tuesday near the towns of Majdal Shams and Masadeh. Energix plans to build 23 wind turbines in the area at an estimated cost of 700 million shekels ($190 million). But residents of the nearby towns oppose this, saying that the turbines will dramatically alter the agricultural landscape of the area and make it more difficult to farm there.
Although some of the landowners originally signed contracts allowing the turbines to be built on their land, they faced pressure from other residents afterward, and most sought to retract their consent.
Druze Protesters Clash With Police in Golan Heights Over Wind Turbine Construction – Haaretz
Three protesters and three police officers suffered mild injuries from the clashes, which erupted in response to work that began Tuesday morning to build wind turbines near the Druze towns of Majdal Shams and Masadeh, on the Israel-Syria border
Jun 20, 2023
Clashes erupted in the Golan Heights on Tuesday between hundreds of Druze protesters and police officers because residents oppose the construction wind turbines in the area.
The protesters blocked agricultural roads and burned mattresses. Police used crowd-control equipment, including water cannons.
Three protesters suffered mild injuries from inhaling smoke or tear gas and were taken to a local clinic for treatment. Three police officers were injured in the clashes with protesters. Two were taken to Ziv Medical Center in Safed with mild injuries and the third was treated on the spot.
In response to the clashes, Druze from the Carmel and Galilee regions blocked Route 85 near the Rama Junction and Route 6 near the Elyakim Junction.
Druze from the northern Golan were protesting the work that began Tuesday morning to build turbines in orchards near their towns, including Majdal Shams and Masadeh. The police were there to guard the work, which is being carried out by the Energix company.
Energix plans to build 23 wind turbines in the area at an estimated cost of 700 million shekels ($190 million). But residents of the nearby towns oppose this, even though some of the landowners originally signed contracts allowing the turbines to be built on their lands. After the contracts were signed, the owners came under pressure from other residents, and most sought to retract their consent.
Al-Marsad – the Arab Human Rights Center in the Golan Heights and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel both criticized the police’s conduct in a joint statement.
“Building turbines isn’t a secret, surprise operation,” they said, adding that “nevertheless, police acted as if it were a military operation.”
They went on to demand that the police “refrain from blocking residents’ access to their agricultural plantings, allow them to exercise their right to protest and inform them about the work in advance.”
Druze living in the area began protesting the project in late 2020, when it was first approved. At that time, too, there were clashes in which 20 protesters and four policemen were injured, all mildly.