A study conducted by BIMKOM - Planners for Planning Rights and the Arab Center for Alternative Planning in 2012, examined the status and quality of outline planning in most Palestinian localities and compared some of them with Jewish-Israeli towns. The conclusions were that those outlines fail to provide solutions to the needs of Palestinian residents in many aspects, particularly housing and employment. Moreover, the study showed a clear discriminatory attitude by planning system towards Palestinians vis-à-vis Jewish-Israelis with regard to industry and employment, land reserves, and planning procedures.44 There is an annual shortage of 5,000 building units in Palestinian localities, and until 2009 an accumulative shortage of 24,900 housing units. Absence or lack of up to date Master Plans, together with limited land reserves, in addition to the exhausting procedures of approval are direct reasons for building without Israeli permits in Palestinian areas. As a result, there are thousands of houses deemed illegal under Israeli law in the Palestinian localities which are under the threat of destruction. In 2009 approximately 167 buildings were demolished by Israel, and in 2010, 227 buildings were demolished, constituting an increase of 38%.45 Case study: Wadi Al-Na’am in the Naqab Before the 1948 War, 90,000 Palestinians lived in the Naqab. During the war, the vast majority were expelled and became refugees in the surrounding Arab countries (including the West Bank and Gaza Strip). Only 11,000 inhabitants remained in their homeland.46 The Israeli government, military officials and representatives of the Jewish National Fund (JNF)47 formulated the Alon Plan48 to remove the remaining population from key Naqab routes and concentrate them in one area. This aimed to secure lands for settling Jewish-Israelis and for building bases of the Israeli military.49 Consequently, the remaining community was confined to a restricted area called “al-Siyaj” (which translates 44 For further information on the research results please see: BIMKOM – Planners for Planning Rights and ACAP -The Arab Center for Alternative Planning, “Outline Planning for Arab Localities in Israel.” 45 Nasser, Severe Housing Distress and Destruction of Arab Homes: Obstacles and Recommendations for Change. 46 Abu-Saad, “Palestinian Arab Citizenship in Israel: The Indigenous Palestinian Bedouin of the Naqab: Forced Urbanization and Denied Recognition.” 47 The Jewish National Fund was created in 1901 to acquire land and property rights in Mandate Palestine and beyond for exclusive Jewish settlement. While indigenous Palestinians are barred from leasing, building on, managing or working their own land, the Jewish National Fund holds the land in trust for “those of Jewish race or descendancy” living anywhere in the world to “promote the interests of Jews in the prescribed region.” The Jewish National Fund has been a key pillar of the colonization of Mandate Palestine - from the founding of the State of Israel to the present. For more information see: http://www.stopthejnf.org/ 48 After Yigal Alon, commander of the southern front and the Military Governor of the Negev. 49 “Off the Map: Land and Housing Rights Violations in Israel’s Unrecognized Bedouin Villages,” 12. 18