Tayibe Residents Mobilize Against Land Confiscation Plans

An emergency meeting was held in Tayibe on Thursday, attended by hundreds of residents, Arab leaders, Knesset members, and local authority heads, to discuss plans that threaten to confiscate approximately 4,200 dunams of land in the city's plain. The plans include the confiscation of 2,200 dunams of private land and the construction of a bypass road affecting another 2,000 dunams.

Speakers at the meeting, including Dr. Jamal Zahalka, head of the Higher Follow-up Committee, and Tayibe Mayor Yahya Haj Yahya, emphasized the need for popular action and protest. They drew parallels to events in Lod and highlighted the urgency of mobilization in the face of settler provocations. Zahalka described the land confiscation plan as one of the largest in recent years and a "knockout blow" to future generations, given Tayibe's high population density and limited remaining land reserves.

Legal advisor Youssef Jumaa stated that the meeting was a joint initiative by the Tayibe municipality, the Farmers' Committee, and the Popular Committee. He explained that the goal was to inform the Higher Follow-up Committee and Arab lawmakers about the details of the plans, noting Tayibe's history of significant land confiscations. Jumaa stressed the importance of early action to prevent the plans from being finalized, which would create an irreversible situation.

Farmer Mustafa Khizeran detailed that the plan involves confiscating at least 2,100 dunams for a container complex and a construction waste collection station, which would serve Tel Aviv's interests at the expense of Tayibe residents. He warned of severe environmental and health risks, including groundwater and air pollution, the destruction of thousands of fruit trees, and the elimination of future urban and demographic expansion prospects.

Following extensive discussions, the Higher Follow-up Committee announced a five-pronged strategy to thwart the project. This includes political pressure on planning committees and ministries, the formation of a professional team to prepare alternative plans, public mobilization through demonstrations and meetings, utilizing all legal tools with the help of organizations like Adalah, and a media campaign to raise awareness and garner support.