The head of Kfar Vradim’s local council, Sivan Yehieli, announced temporarily halting bids for selling building plots of land developed for residential use after 58 of the first 125 plots were purchased by Arab families.
In a letter he disseminated among the community’s residents he promised that “no more land would be sold until an appropriate solution was found," the Haaretz daily reported Sunday. Yehieli said that he would discuss with government authorities a way to retain the town’s Jewish character, emphasizing that he was “responsible for preserving the secular-Jewish-Zionist nature of Kfar Vradim."
The controversy erupted when a resident of the community, reported the results of the sale on Facebook and called on the community to “wake up.”
Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel- issued a statement on Sunday, condemning the racist actions of Kfar Vradim's council leader.
“The words and actions of Kfar Vradim’s local council leader are motivated by racism,” the statement said. "To prevent Arab citizens of Israel from purchasing homes due strictly to their national identity is an illegitimate act and stands in absolute contradiction to the principles of equality to which the local council is obligated. The Israel Land Authority must make it utterly clear to the local council leader that his statements are patently unacceptable and that he must refrain from all interference in land tenders."
The statement added: "In a climate in which the Israeli Knesset continues to promote racist legislation targeting Arab citizens, Kfar Vradim's council leader feels emboldened to promote racist policies and to trample the most basic of democratic principles. Successive Israeli governments have confiscated lands from Arab citizens and intentionally prevented the development of Arab communities. This racism continues today via resident selection practices and the exclusion of Arab citizens of Israel."
Last week, the special committee for promoting a Jewish nation-state bill approved the first version of the bill slated to be brought before the Knesset — a version that has a clause allowing the establishment of communities for Jews only. Clause 7b of this bill specifically states that “the state can allow a community composed of people of the same faith or nationality to maintain an exclusive community."
The bill has not yet been brought to the Knesset for approval, partly due to this clause, which raises constitutional problems. Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit said that “there is no place for such a clause in its present form.” Attorney Eyal Zandberg of the Attorney General’s office added that “this is blatant discrimination his means that the residents' selection committee can hang up a sign saying ‘no entry to non-Jews.’”
