Be’er Sheva District Court Cancels Approval of Plan to Expand Dimona that Threatens to Displace Bedouin Village of Ras Jrabah and Its 500 Residents
The court accepted two separate petitions: one filed by Adalah on behalf of Bimkom and the residents of Ras Jrabah, and another by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. It annulled approval of the Dimona expansion plan due to major planning flaws, including the refusal to consider integrating the residents into the plan and the lack of an environmental impact assessment.
Today, Wednesday, 25 June 2025, the Be’er Sheva District Court, sitting as a Court of Administrative Affairs, published its ruling on two petitions challenging the “Dimona East Plan”, under which the Israel Land Authority (ILA) seeks to expand the Jewish city of Dimona by adding approximately 8,000 housing units and doubling its area. Adalah filed the petition on behalf of Ras Jrabah residents and Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, after the Southern District Planning Committee’s Subcommittee for Objections rejected the residents’ objection, and the Committee Chair denied their request to appeal to the National Planning Council.
Administrative Petition 53780‑12‑24: Al-Hawashleh et. al v. Chair of Southern District Planning and Building Committee
CLICK HERE to read the [Hebrew] decision
CLICK HERE to read the [Hebrew] petition and HERE for the respondents’ response
In the petition, filed by Adalah Attorney Myssana Morany on 19 December 2024, the residents argued that the ILA had ignored their repeated requests to be included in the plan and alternative plans submitted to the planning committee. This disregard violated a clear condition set by the District Committee when approving the plan for deposit, which required the Subcommittee to consider integrating Ras Jrabah residents in the plan.
In its ruling, the court annulled the Subcommittee’s approval, holding that the District Committee should have required an environmental impact assessment before deposit, and that the ILA had failed to properly consider integrating Ras Jrabah residents. The court ordered the ILA to revise the plan and resubmit it to the District Planning Committee for review, including a genuine, good-faith examination of the integration of Ras Jrabah’s residents and the completion of the required environmental impact assessment before the plan is reconsidered. The court awarded NIS 15,000 in legal costs to the petitioners in each of the two petitions.
The residents of Ras Jrabah have consistently asked to be integrated into the plan to expand Dimona, as Dimona serves as their nearest urban center and they wish to remain part of its development, and to remain on their land. With support from Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, the residents submitted concrete planning alternatives to facilitate their inclusion. The state authorities have repeatedly refused to consider the option, presenting the residents with the sole option of relocation to the Bedouin town of Qasr Al-Sirr.
Since May 2019, the people of Ras Jrabah have opposed eviction lawsuits filed against them by the Israel Land Authority (ILA) which falsely accuses them of trespassing in order to clear the land to make way for the expansion of Dimona. In parallel to the planning procedures, Adalah filed a request to appeal a June 2024 District Court decision approving the evictions, which remains pending before the Supreme Court. During a March hearing, the state admitted that it has no housing solutions for the residents it seeks to forcibly displace.
In response to the ruling, Adalah and Bimkom commented:
“This ruling represents a significant step that finally compels the state to give serious consideration to the alternative the residents of Ras Jrabah have consistently demanded—the integration of their village into the new plan—so they can remain on their land and continue to be a part of Dimona’s development. These families have lived on this land for decades with the state’s knowledge. Authorities must account for their rights and needs in every decision concerning the future of the area. The court’s ruling reveals that the ILA refused to consider including them. Its conduct reflects a clear policy of segregation aimed at preserving the Jewish character of Dimona. This case also exposes the racial motivations behind Israel’s policy of forced displacement targeting Bedouin communities in the Naqab and systematic efforts to Judaize the Naqab and minimize the Bedouins’ living space.”
Related Press Releases:
Court to hear Adalah’s defense arguments against evacuation of 500 residents of Ras Jrabah 14/06/2020
Read Press Release on Adalah`s Website
For further details and inquiries:
Miriam Azem | International Advocacy Coordinator
Email: miriam@adalah.org
Phone/WhatsApp: +972-53-734-0662
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Photo: A girl cycles through Ras Jrabah east of the city of Dimona in the eastern Naqab region. Source: Ahmad Gharabli / AFP.
