Beduin removed near Cinema City in Ramat Hasharon

Spokesman for city north of Tel Aviv says court battle to evacuate squatters from around 70 acres of land took 9 years.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Beduin evacuation, Rmat Hasharon370 (photo credit: Courtesy, Ramat Hasharon Municipality)
Beduin evacuation, Rmat Hasharon370
(photo credit: Courtesy, Ramat Hasharon Municipality)
A large police force started to evacuate Beduin from around 70 dunams of land on Monday morning in Ramat Hasharon.
The operation was coordinated by Mayor Itzik Rochberger and Ch.-Supt. Avi Bersano.
Beduin had seized the land, which is located near Cinema City.
Gonen Eliasi, the spokesman for the Ramat Hasharon Municipality, told The Jerusalem Post that Beduin had built many illegal structures in the area and carried out illegal activities such as renting the area to third parties. They even rented out an area that was used for paintball.
The city fought in court for nine years to reach this point, said Eliasi. “We believe that the police should enforce the law,” he said.
“Ramat Hasharon treats illegal building with an iron fist.”
The municipality is promoting the commercial development of the area, and in the coming years it should provide employment and entertainment, according to the municipality.
Rochberger said that it is “municipality policy to fight the phenomenon of illegal land confiscation and illegal construction.
“The municipality will act decisively to enforce the law,” he said.