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Tel Aviv, August 15 (RHC)-- The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem is reporting 86 members of a Palestinian Bedouin community have been forced to abandon their homes due to violent threats from Israeli settlers. 

Muhammad Hassan Abu al-Kabash of the Bedouin community al-Qabun told reporters: “We’ve lived here for 20-25 years.  We’re farmers, shepherds, and we’ve lived here normally with our flock.  But a settler came to the area and started making trouble for us.  They tell us, ’Don’t graze here.  You’re not allowed to graze there.  These are my lands.’  A few days ago, they spilled my neighbor’s sheep’s drinking water on the ground.  Two days ago, an armed settler came, walked around our home, came inside and just sat there.  He says the land is his.  He says, ’I’m the government.  I’m the state.  I’m the police and the military.’ It’s come to the point where we’re leaving.  It’s a done deal.”

According to B’Tselem, the Bedouin community al-Qabun is the fourth Palestinian community forced to abandon its land in the past three months due to threats from Israeli settlers.