The 1972 expulsion of thousands of Bedouins from the Rafah Salient area was the epicenter of one of the major petitions to the High Court of Justice in the early years of the occupation. The report of the military commission of inquiry, declassified only following a lengthy litigation process and available in full here (Hebrew), reveals that the expulsion was meant to serve Israeli settlement in the occupied territories, rather than security purposes, as the state had argued in court.
"Concluding Report: Commission of Inquiry regarding the transfer of Bedouins from areas of Rafah Salient while exceeding authority and inciting Bedouins against IDF"
“Conclusions
[…]
- The facts indicate that the southern area was fenced in and evacuated of its residents under the orders of the GOC Southern Command, who also ordered the destruction of structures within this area following the evacuation.
- The GOC Southern Command took the action following a request from the Jewish Agency to expand area allocated for the community of Sadot and in an effort to help settlement in the area.
[…]”
Document Courtesy of Gershom Gorenberg
Redactions in document’s pages 14-15 by Akevot to protect a person’s safety
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A fence at Rafah Salient. Photo taken on April 1st 1972, two months after the Bedouins' expulsion. Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
Rafah Salient
Photos of the Governemnt Press Office: Moshav Sadot and Moshav Netiv Ha’Asara areas in Rafah Salient, 1972-1973
