( CNN ) -- More than 1,000 police officers were deployed to the southern Israeli Bedouin town of Rahat on Sunday morning as two dozen Jewish right-wing extremists protested what they said was unlawful Arab construction on neighboring hilltops . A Bedouin Arab girl protests near an Israeli police roadblock on the outskirts of Rahat in Israel on Sunday . Several hundred Bedouin residents who are Israeli citizens held a counter-demonstration in the center of town . About 25 protesters arrived in two buses under police presence . They were allowed to march a short distance , as police on horseback and in a helicopter hovered around . Police closed off the main road to prevent the two sides from coming into contact . `` They are taking over the land of Israel without permission , building on hilltops as you can see here to the right and to the left , '' said Baruch Marzel , who is associated with the banned Kach movement . Far-right parliament member Michael Ben Ari of the National Union party said allowing Bedouins to settle on hilltops while removing Jews from hilltops in the West Bank is discrimination . In the town center , residents held a demonstration with lawmakers from Israeli Arab parties in attendance . Talab El-Sana , a Bedouin from the Democratic Arab Party , urged the counter-demonstrators to show restraint . `` We told the people to be quiet , we are not against the policemen , we are against these people who call for discrimination or transfer for the Arabs , '' he told CNN . The march ended without any major incident .
Jewish right - wing extremists protest Arab construction in neighboring area . Bedouin farmers who are Israeli citizens organize counter - protests . More than 1,000 police officers deployed to calm the protesters . Main streets closed to prevent violence ; march ends peacefully .