""the only free country in the Middle East and North Africa"!""

Not if you are an Israeli Bedouin, or other Arab citizen, apparently:-

Oh yes! I apologise for making you read one of Jim's posts, but if you don't, you won't know what I'm talking about, so how about reading it this time?

""The attempted evacuation of the unrecognized village of Atir-Umm al-Hieran On 30 Julv 2009, the Beer el-Sabe Magistrates' Court ordered the eviction of a number of residents from their homes in the unrecognized village of Atir - Umm al-Hieran in the Xaqab.

The order is the latest in a series of eviction proceedings aimed at uprooting the village in preparation for the establishment of a new town named "Hiran," planned exclusively for Jewish residents.

The land designated for Hiran includes the land on which Atir - Umm al-Hieran is located.

A report by the Israel Land Administration (ILA) identifies the Arab Bedouin inhabitants of the area as a "special problem" that may affect the establishment of Hiran. Atir - Umm al-Hieran was established by order issued by the Israeli military governor in 1948, after the military forces had forcefully evicted its residents from their homes and land in Wadi Zuballa.

The tribe was prevented from returning to live or work on the land.

This transfer was not the first time that the villagers were evicted from their homes: they were displaced in 1948 to Hirbat al-Hanzail and then to Kokheh and Abu Kaff.

In 1956, the villagers were displaced for the third time to Wadi Atir, where they live today, having received assurances from the military governor that they would be permitted to remain on the land permanently.

The people established the village and built permanent brick and cement homes, and worked to rebuild their familial and social lives, which had been disrupted by each expulsion. Today, 150 families made up of around 1,000 people live in the village, all members of the Abu al-Qia'an tribe.

Adalah has been defending residents of Umm al-Hieran against attempts to expel and dispossess them since 2004.

On 21 October 2009, Adalah submitted an appeal against the Beer el-Sabe Magistrates' Court to the Beer el-Sabe District Court. In the appeal, Adalah demanded the cancellation of the eviction orders and a halt to the evacuation of the entire village.""

Explain to me Keith, if you wouldn't mind, how this fourth eviction after a promise of permanent residence is fair.

Is this what you have repeatedly described as ""they can't just be allowed to settle wherever they like""

Seems to me they'll only be allowed to finally settle once they've evntually been pushed across the border.

That takes care of the real fairness of a "Fair Israel".

Don T.