Last week Sivan Yehieli, mayor of the community of Kfar Vradim inthe Galilee, announced the cancellation of building constructiontenders – because 50% of the winners in the first tender were…Arabs. In a message to all inhabitants, he spoke in an openly racistway and declared himself in favor of “limiting the access of Arabsto the community”. But not all inhabitants of Kfar Vradim think thisway – and they don’t intend to stay silent. We will not stand racismand discrimination in Kfar Vradim, and will not stand aside when themayor decides to exclude Arab citizens from living in the community.What do we suggest? To stand together, Jews and Arabs, and demandfull equality. Today, Wed.March 21, at 19:30. we will stand at theentrance to Kfar Vradim from the direction of Tarshiha (TrafficCircle 6, near “Ved Be’Yad Ba’Galil) and speak out for coexistenceand joint life of Jews and Arabs – in Kfar Vradim, in the WestGalille, and all over the country.
Background: Kfar Vradim, a Galilee town founded in 1984,presently has 1,700 houses and 5,800 inhabitants – all but a handfulof them Jews. It is in the midst of an expansion plan which wouldmore than double its size – an additional 2,200 homes wouldincrease the population to some 14,000 people. However, after 58 ofthe first 125 plots were purchased by Arab families, mostly from theneighboring Arab town of Tarshiha, the Kfar Vradim Mayor SivanYechieli, announced that no new tenders would be issued until “hehad discussed with government authorities a way to retain the town’sJewish character”. The mayor was strongly condemned as a racist bypolitical parties and movements and by human rights organizations. Aprotest demonstration will be held outside Yechieli`s home tomorrow(Wednesday). It had been noted that much of the land on which Arabsfrom Tarshiha want to build their homes had originally belonged toTarshiha and was confiscated after 1948.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-town-halts-tender-after-arabs-buy-up-land/