The Negev Coexistence Forum Responds to German Party’s Role in Project to Dispossess Bedouin of Land

To learn more, please view the following NCF original video, Forest of German States in the Negev.

Protest at the Beer Sheva Court Follows Kfar Al Zarnug Incursion 

Protest Continues in Response to Al Arakib Demolitions

German Social Democratic party funds project to dispossess Bedouin of their land

New NCF reports for human rights day

• “Processes of Dispossession in the Negev-Naqab: The Israeli Policy of Counter Claims against the Bedouin-Arabs” - The report outlines the flaws inherent to the Israeli government’s policy of submitting counter-claims against Bedouin land claims in the Negev, the country’s southern desert region. The counter-claiming policy is one of several strategies employed by the Israeli government to further dispossess its Bedouin citizens in the Negev of their ancestral lands. Click here to read the full report.

• “Testimonies on House Demolitions in the Negev-Naqab” (available only in Arabic and Hebrew) – A collection of testimonies about the life of Arab-Bedouin citizens in the Negev under the policy of house demolitions, including information about last year’s demolitions.

Swiss Ambassador visits Negev, witnesses demolition

Court hearing about Al Arakib land ownership

New report details Israel's unjust use of counter-claims policy against Bedouin-Arabs in the Negev

 On the occasion of Human Rights Day 2012, the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality has released a new report, titled “Processes of Dispossession in the Negev-Naqab: The Israeli Policy of Counter Claims against the Bedouin-Arabs.”

The report outlines the flaws inherent to the Israeli government’s policy of submitting counter-claims against Bedouin land claims in the Negev, the country’s southern desert region. The counter-claiming policy is one of several strategies employed by the Israeli government to further dispossess its Bedouin citizens in the Negev of their ancestral lands.

All Bedouin citizens of Israel were asked to file land rights claims in the 1970s. By 1979, the Bedouin had filed 3,220 claims for approximately 1.5 million dunams of land. Soon thereafter, however, the Israeli government froze the land-claims recognition process and treated the land as state-owned, not under ownership dispute.

In 2004, following the adoption of a new development plan for the Negev, the state began submitting “counter-claims” in court against 30 years worth of unsettled land claims. To date, the Israeli state has secured a 100 percent success rate in court for counter-claims made against Bedouin land ownership claims in the Negev

Ultimately, the NCF report found that, “the counter-claiming strategy had severe implications for the Bedouin claimants, many of whom withdrew from (or altogether avoided) court hearings due to the impossibility of winning their case in the court and challenge the State’s legal position.

Israel’s counter-claim measures reinforced the image of the Bedouin as illegal claimants without title to the land. “The construction of a legal argument that makes it impossible for Bedouin to prove land rights, and the state’s 100 percent success rate in court cases, alienates the Bedouin from the law, the judiciary and from a state that should serve them equally as citizens,” the report stated

Mr. Ahmad Amara, a Palestinian human rights lawyer and PhD Candidate at New York University, and the author of the report, stated: “The case of the Negev is a case of extortion in the name of the law - as if a history of dispossession, deportation, and lack of provision of services wasn't enough. History in this case shows that the colonial rule provided better justice for the Bedouin Arabs than the country where they are citizens.

The report was written owing, amongst others, to the financial support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, 2011.

To read the full report, click here.

Extreme Israeli violence in recognized Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj

Interactive exhibitions now online

The Negev Coexistence Forum has produced several professionally curated exhibitions that were on display in Israel and abroad.

As part of our commitment to promoting Bedouin rights, we are offering organizations, community centers and any other group interested in the Bedouin cause, the opportunity to download an “exhibition kit” and mount the exhibition themselves in their own communities.

The kit includes image files optimised for printing, caption files, an outline of the hanging, and background information about the Bedouin communities in the Negev.

Everything can be easily printed at a professional printer near you!

The first of the exhibitions offered is the result of a visual literacy project conducted in the unrecognized Bedoiun village of Wadi Al-Na’am by photographer Ilan Molcho, with further guidance from photographer Miki Kratsman. The participating children photographed their immediate surroundings and wrote short statements about their work. The exhibition was previously shown at Amnesty International in London.

To view the exhibition in full, and for more information on how to download an exhibition kit, visit our website here, or e-mail info@dukium.org.
 

EU Parliament members visit the Negev

NCF Executive Director Haia Noach participated in an information briefing for members of the European Parliament (MEPs), organized by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. Veronique De Keyser of Belgium, Ivo Vajgl of Slovenia, Emer Costello of Ireland and Said El Khadraoui of Belgium participated in the briefing.

Noach briefed the MEPs on the role of the Jewish National Fund in the demolition of Bedouin villages in the Negev, and afforestation plans in the region. Rawia Abu Rabia from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Khalil Alamour from the Bedouin village of Alsira and Attorney Suhad Bishara and Dr. Thabet Abu Rass from Adalah also presented information to the MEPs.



Following the visit, Veronique de Keyser issued a strongly-worded statement against Israel's efforts to displace its Bedouin citizens: "The situation on the ground is very alarming. We call on the Israeli authorities to recognise those Bedouin villages in the Negev-Naqab which are located on the tribes' ancestral land and see that their inhabitants have access to all basic services, including infrastructure, water and education as the full Israeli citizens that they are."

To read the MEP delegation's full statement, click here. For more information about the tour and briefing, organized by Adalah, click here.

New Bedouin town to be built in Negev

A new Bedouin town will be established on 1000 dunams (250 acres) in the regional council of Ramat Negev. It will be named Ramat Tziporim. The plan was approved this week by the regional planning and construction committee.
 
Click here for further reading on Ha’aretz website

Belgian activists cycle in solidarity with Bedouin

Last week, a group of Belgian activists cycled through the Negev in solidarity with Bedouin communities.

The group biked for two days, and visited the villages of Al Arakib, Wadi Al-Na'am, and others. They spoke with Bedouin leaders in the villages to hear about their daily struggles and fight for basic rights in the Negev.

Eid al-Adha blessings

We wish our Muslim friends and comrades, and all the Muslims in the Negev-Naqab, happy Eid Al-Adha.

We wish you a holiday marked with happiness and pleasure, and that this holiday will be a symbol of peace and equality.

The Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality

Embassy representatives visit Negev

On October 24, NCF participated in an information briefing and tour of the Negev for diplomatic missions in Israel. Organized by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority rights in Israel, the tour brought representatives from the Greek, Canadian, EU, Belgian, and Dutch embassies, to name just a few, to the Negev to better understand the challenges facing the Bedouin community.

NCF Executive Director Haia Noach spoke to the group about the Jewish National Fund's role in Bedouin displacement and demolitions in the area.

New NCF videos

NCF is proud to invite you to watch two new videos from the Negev, filmed and edited by Yoav Galai, the NCF villages project coordinator.

The first video highlights a recent Bailando Esperanza clowning performance in the village of Umm-Mitnan, while the second looks at the large-scale protest in Be'er Sheva on 18 October against house demolitions and police violence in the Negev.

Please share these great videos with your friends!

Solidarity visit to villages affected by demolitions

Last Saturday, September 22, a group of Bedouin, Jewish and international activists conducted a solidarity visit to the villages of Wadi-Ari'ha and Abde, where houses were demolished last week.

Click here to read a summary of the visit, written by Haia Noach, NCF's Executive Director (in Hebrew).

Police violence in Bir Hadaj

(Bir Hadaj liegt an der Straße 222, etwa 30 km ziemlich genau südlich von Berscheeba.)
On Thursday, September 27, an animal pen was demolished in the village of Al-Zarnug.

The same day, one house was also demolished in the village of Bir Hadaj. The residents reported police violence during the demolition, including the firing of sponge bullets and other non-lethal weapons. According to village residents, at least four people were injured.

Click here for photos from the demolition in Bir Hadaj, and click here for more photos (via Panet website).


 

New video from Al Arakib

A new video from NCF's video workshops -- held with children and youth in the Bedouin village of Al-Arakib -- is now online. The video was filmed by Alia Abu-Mdirem and it illustrates the bread-making process carried out by the women of the village.

To watch the video, click here.

Solidarity visit to villages affected by demolitions

Last Saturday, September 22, a group of Bedouin, Jewish and international activists conducted a solidarity visit to the villages of Wadi-Ari'ha and Abde, where houses were demolished last week.

Click here to read a summary of the visit, written by Haia Noach, NCF's Executive Director (in Hebrew).

Police violence in Bir Hadaj

On Thursday, September 27, an animal pen was demolished in the village of Al-Zarnug.

The same day, one house was also demolished in the village of Bir Hadaj. The residents reported police violence during the demolition, including the firing of sponge bullets and other non-lethal weapons. According to village residents, at least four people were injured.

Click here for photos from the demolition in Bir Hadaj, and click here for more photos (via Panet website).


 

New video from Al Arakib

A new video from NCF's video workshops -- held with children and youth in the Bedouin village of Al-Arakib -- is now online. The video was filmed by Alia Abu-Mdirem and it illustrates the bread-making process carried out by the women of the village.

To watch the video, click here.

New NCF Calendar

The Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality just released its new trilingual calendar. It includes the Hijri year, the civil and Jewish years, and Jewish, Muslim and Christian holidays. This year, we dedicated the calendar to raising awareness on Arab Bedouin women's rights and land rights in the Negev-Naqab.

The _­calendar can be downloaded from our website. If you wish to purchase a hard copy of the calendar, please send 25 NIS for an A5 format, 45 NIS for an A3 format or 35 NIS for A4 format to "Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality" P.O.B 130 Omer, 84965.

Home Demolitions throughout the Negev

The Israeli authorities have carried out many home demolitions in Bedouin villages throughout the Negev over the past two weeks.

On September 12, the village of Al-Arakib was demolished for the 39th time. On September 20, five homes were demolished in the village of Wadi Ari'ha, one house was demolished in Abde, and one house was demolished in Bir-Hadaj.

To view NCF's full list of house demolitions in the Negev, click here.


                                                        Home demolished in the village of Abde

Happy New Year from NCF

Al Arakib demolished

Workshops for Bedouin children

Be'er Sheva municipality relocates wine stalls in annual festival

.

ILA brags about demolitions

Be'er Sheva municipality refuses to relocate wine festival from sacred mosque grounds

Demolitions throughout the Negev

Emergency Conference in Wadi Al-Na'am

EU condemns Prawer Plan

NCF Activities in Umm-Mitnan

Al Arakib marks two years since first demolition

House demolitions across the Negev

Al Arakib destroyed, court cases against residents continue

Exhibition of children's photographs
 

NCF Participates in Conference in Sweden

Foreign Minister Lieberman, right-wing activists try to visit Bedouin village

Demolitions across the Negev

The Israeli authorities demolished numerous structures in Bedouin villages and towns across the Negev over the past week. On June 11, one house in Segev Shalom, one fence in Bir Hadaj, and three huts and a chicken pen south of Rahat were demolished.

On June 6, three houses in Tel Sheva, one house in Sawa (north of Route 31, near Hura) and two homes in Umm Ratam (east of Route 25) were also demolished.

To view NCF's full list of home demolitions in the Negev, click here.

Exhibition of children's photographs, videos

NCF and the Al Arakib and Al Sira village committees are proud to invite you to the opening exhibition of photographs and videos taken by village children. The photographs and videos were shot during NCF workshops held in the villages in an effort to provide the children with an outlet for creative expression.

The event will take place on Wednesday June 20 at 6 pm at the Multaka-Mifgash, 7 King Solomon St, Be'er Sheva.

Hope you can join us!

18.5.12

British Ambassador learns about NCF, visits Al Arakib

The British Ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, spent time with NCF Secretariat members Khalil Al-Amour and Avner Ben-Amos, and NCF Executive Director Haia Noach, on May 16. The NCF team helped Ambassador Gould learn more about the issues affecting the Negev, and about NCF's ongoing and dedicated work with local communities.

NCF also helped organize a meeting between Gould and the residents of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Arakib.

"For a village to be destroyed 37 times, and rebuilt 38 times, says a lot about the determination of the authorities, but even more about your determination," Gould told Al Arakib leader Sheikh Sayyah Al-Touri, during their meeting in the village.

"I haven't heard of a village being demolished 37 times anywhere else in the world," Sheikh Al-Touri explained. "Every week, I get a new indictment filed against me, and I'm accused of invading the land," he added, before showing the Ambassador the Ottoman era deeds his family holds to the land upon which they were sitting.


  UK Ambassador Matthew Gould and Sheikh Sayyah Al-Touri in Al Arakib
  Photo: Jillian Kestler-D'Amours

Dr. Awad Abu Freih, head of the Al Arakib village committee, said: "Israel made us illegal people. We are non-violent people. We just watched them demolish our homes." Bedouin lawyer Shacdeh Ibn Bari also spoke: "The problem is not the court. The problems are the laws," he said. "It's about how to stop this factory, this way of producing, every day, new laws against the Arabs in Israel."

The residents of Al Arakib are still living under the threat of JNF forestation, which can happen at any time. JNF bulldozers were seen preparing Al Arakib lands for planting trees as recently as May 7. If you can, please join the morning shifts in the village and protest against the JNF-KKL works in Al-Arakib!

Contact in the village: Aziz: 050-781-4906 | Transportation from Be'er Sheva: Michal 050-939-1299 | Tel Aviv: Ya'acov 050-573-3276 | Jerusalem: Moriel 054-315-7781

NCF Statement at UN Forum on Indigenous Issues

This week, Mansour Nsasra read a statement on behalf of the Negev Coexistence Forum (NCF) during the 11th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues in New York. Nsasra’s statement focused on Israel’s intensified efforts to displace the indigenous Bedouin from their ancestral land, and in particular, to the government’s recently passed Prawer-Amidror Plan, which would displace 30,000 Bedouin citizens from their homes and villages throughout the Negev.

Nsasra explained how the Prawer-Amidror Plan violates the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including most notably Article 10, which states that, “indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories” and that “no relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned.”

He urged the Panel and the international community at large to intervene in order to prevent the Israeli government from implementing the Prawer-Amidror Plan, which will only further dispossess the Bedouin of the Negev, undermine the delicate social fabric of the area and inflame Arab-Jewish relations.

Nsasra also met with James Anaya, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, on Thursday, May 17, to further discuss the situation of Bedouin displacement in the Negev.

To read the full statement, click here

NCF Racism Report

For the third consecutive year, NCF has published a report dealing with structural discrimination against Arabs living in the Negev on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In light of government claims that moving the Bedouin population to permanent towns will benefit them and enable them to enjoy a higher level of services, this year's report, titled "Availability and Accessibility of Government, Commercial, Public and Health Services in Arab Villages and Structural Discrimination Against Arab Employees in Government Offices in the Negev," focused upon services that are being offered in Bedouin towns.

"The reality that exists in the recognized towns, as presented in the State Comptroller's report, proves that the policy of urbanization was not implemented for purposes of development, providing better services, or modernization, but rather by a desire to increase control over the Bedouin population and to ensure that reserves of land in the Negev would remain free for the purpose of future Jewish settlement," the report states.

To read the full report, click here.

11.5.12

Stop the Jewish National Fund from Foresting over Bedouin Villages!

JNF prepares land for planting in Al Arakib

The Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL) broke its promise and resumed working on plots of land belonging to the residents of the Bedouin village of Al Arakib on May 7 in preparation for planting trees.

In spite of a promise made one month ago by JNF-KKL directorate chairman Efi Shtentzler that the JNF-KKL would not work on four plots of land belonging to the village of Al-Arakib, residents reported that the JNF-KKL worked in one such plot earlier this week.



              Al Arakib resident watches as the JNF works village land, May 7
                                                                                  Photo by Haia Noach

Last week, Israeli police in the city of Rahat informed Sheikh Sayakh Al-Turi, leader of Al-Arakib, that they intended to secure JNF-KKL works in the village. The warning became a reality, as JNF-KKL bulldozers, accompanied by police forces and special police units, worked in the village.

The work carried out May 7 also came despite the recommendation of District Court judge Nechama Netzer to avoid transforming the land until ongoing legal proceedings are settled.

Haia Noach, NCF Director, said: “The mechanism of dispossession has used all the governmental units available: green patrol cars, police and special units accompanied by bulldozers are standing in front of dozens of village residents and activists, who are trying to save what little slice of land that remains for the village. Instead of finding an agreed-upon solution and waiting for the court's decision, JNF-KKL comes to the village under massive police protection and takes the last lands of the village. The residents of the Negev don't need more forests; we need sustainable equality and the application of the right to an adequate standard of living for all the residents of the Negev."



                Al Arakib residents and activists speak with Israeli police, May 7
                                                                                    Photo by Haia Noach


If you can, please join the morning shifts in the village and protest against the JNF-KKL works in Al-Arakib!

Contact in the village: Aziz: 050-781-4906 | Transportation from Be'er Sheva: Michal 050-939-1299 | Tel Aviv: Ya'acov 050-573-3276 | Jerusalem: Moriel 054-315-7781

CALL FOR ACTION: Stop JNF Forestation on Bedouin land

Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) launched a letter-writing campaign earlier this week, urging the Jewish National Fund (JNF/KKL) to stop foresting over Bedouin villages in the Negev. In particular, the JNF is working to build a forest over the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Arakib, which has been demolished 34 times since July 2010. JNF bulldozers have been seen on village lands as recently as May 7, preparing the ground for planting.

In a sample letter, to be sent to JNF Chairman of the Board of Directors, Efi Stenzler, RHR writes:

“At the end of April 2012, KKL-JNF equipment arrived in Al-Arakib and began preparing a plot of land for planting that is currently under legal dispute in the Israeli courts. This is after KKL-JNF already began work earlier this spring on another plot of land in Al-Arakib that is due to be adjudicated in Israel’s High Court in December 2012…

I call on you to exert your influence to see that KKL-JNF does not plant on disputed land in Al-Arakib before a final decision has been delivered in the Israeli courts. I urge KKL-JNF to find ways to develop the Negev that do not involve foresting over Bedouin villages or disputed Bedouin land.”

For more information, and to support the campaign, click here.

TAKE ACTION: Demand that KKL-JNF ends its forestation on the remains of demolished Bedouin villages and disputed Bedouin land.

5.5.12

JNF expected to resume work in Al Arakib

Israeli police summoned Sheikh Sayyah Al-Touri, leader of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Arakib, for interrogation in Rahat earlier this week. Officers informed him that they would be securing the Jewish National Fund's (JNF) planting operations on Al Arakib lands, starting as of May 2.


                        Work carried out by the JNF on village land, April 29
                                                     Photo by Oren Ziv, Activestills.org

Al Arakib has been demolished 34 times since July 2010 to make way for a JNF-sponsored forest. The JNF maintains a bulldozer encampment in the village, and has consistently been seen preparing the ground for planting.

Activists have been requested to come to Al Arakib on Sunday morning, to show solidarity with village residents. For more information, contact Michal, 050-939-1299.

Demonstration at JNF offices in Jerusalem

Approximately 100 people demonstrated in Jerusalem on April 29 against the Jewish National Fund's (JNF) role in destroying the village of Al Arakib and forcibly evicting its residents. Earlier that day, JNF bulldozers had attempted to work on village lands in preparation for planting trees.

"We told [the JNF] that the question of land ownership was currently being decided in the courts, but they told us, 'We are the law and we are above the law,'" said Sheikh Sayyah Al-Touri during the demonstration.

Media Reports:

In Photos, Video: Protest against JNF in Jerusalem, The Alternative Information Center

Bedouin tribes in the Naqab desert suffer from JNF forestation policy, Silvia Boarini, Palestine Monitor

NCF submits report to CCPR

In late April, NCF submitted a report outlining Israel's violations of the rights of its Bedouin citizens under the United Nations' International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Among other things, the report detailed the state's failure to ensure adequate Bedouin representation in government office and to hold elections in the Abu Basma Regional Council. The report also outlined Israel's use of legal mechanisms to legitimize the appropriation of Bedouin land, and its push to implement the destructive Prawer-Amidror Plan, which would forcibly transfer 30,000 Bedouin against their will and cut the community off from its indigenous cultural traditions.

"There was no consultation process with the Bedouin community regarding the formulation of the Prawer-Amidror Plan," the report states. "Any implementation plan that is forcefully and unilaterally imposed upon this already disadvantaged community will only further undermine the delicate social fabric of the Negev and inflame Arab-Jewish relations."

The UN Human Rights Committee is expected to discuss the list of issues included in the report in July. It will then request a response from the Israeli state. To read the full NCF report, click here.

16.4.12

NCF Activities Report 2011

Dear friends and supporters,

I am proud to present the 2011 Activities Report of the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality which is available here. The report reflects our experiences, challenges and successes during the course of 2011 in our continued struggle for the rights of the Naqab Bedouin.  It was a year marked by the ongoing demolition of Al Arakib and the progression of the government's plans of dispossession.  However, against this backdrop of discriminatory policy developments and an increasingly hostile political environment for the Naqab Bedouin and activists alike there were some encouraging advancements by members of the international community to spotlight violations of human rights in the Naqab.

                                                        Photo by Tamir Kalifa

I take this opportunity to thank the concerted efforts of my team of volunteers, staff, members of the Secretariat and supporters. Without their commitment and dedication, much of what was achieved during 2011 would not have been possible.

However, with the approval of the Prawer-Amidror Plan by the Israeli cabinet in September 2011, we anticipate that another difficult year lies ahead for the Naqab community. This leads me to ask you to consider supporting our work to counter government actions that continue to harm its most vulnerable and marginalised citizens. 

Every donation, no matter how great or small, goes a long way to help us achieve our goals. I thank you in advance for your generosity in these difficult times.

 

Haia Noach

Executive Director

4.4.12

Annual Racism Report 

On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annualy on 21 March, the NCF published its annual report on the accessibility of government, commercial and public services in Bedouin communities in the Negev, and the employment of Arab government workers in the Negev. In light of the government’s claims that relocating the Bedouin population to permanent settlements will provide these services at a higher level, the report focuses this year on the availability of these services in the government-planned townships. A detailed summary of the report in English can be found here.

Haaretz reports on NCF and CERD Concluding Observations

On 26 March, one of the leading Israeli newspapers, Haaretz, reported on the recommendation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) with respect to the proposed Prawer Plan and that if approved would be discriminatory and legalize racist practices. The article also noted the role of the NCF in the UN review process and that its alternative report may have influenced its position.
 

UN Panel urges Israel to shelve 'racist' Bedouin relocation plan

Land Day

Two thousand Bedouin and other activists marked Land Day this year in the Naqab in Wadi El-Na'am on 30 March. Many participants held placards protesting the proposed Prawer Plan. NCF Executive Director, Haia Noach, presented a speech (available here in Hebrew) to the gathering.

Chag Sameach and happy holidays from NCF

The NCF Secretariat wishes you and your family a happy and peaceful chag for Passover or holiday for Easter. While Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays and commemorates the biblical story of the Exodus, we believe that it is a message and symbol of freedom for all. It is an opportunity to be inspired to continue our struggle for the rights of all those living in the Negev-Naqab.

23.3.12

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21^st the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality has published a report relating to accessibility of government, commercial and public services in Bedouin communities in the Negev. In light of the claims being made by the government that moving to permanent settlements will provide these services at a higher level to the Bedouin population, our annual report focused this year on the availability of these services in the government planned townships. Our findings paint a sad picture.
The report addresses the inadequate access to health services, national insurance and ministry of interior offices, bank branches and public transport in each and every one of the planned townships and the recently recognized villages of the Abu Basma regional council. An English summary can be found here, on the NCF website. 

CERD Concluding Observations

On March 13^th the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released its concluding observations on Israel. Paragraph20contains a strong recommendation that the Law for the Regulation of Bedouin Settlement in the Negev (otherwise known as the Prawer Plan) be withdrawn on the grounds that it is discriminatory. The full concluding remarks can be found here, and the full text of the alternative report submitted by NCF can be found here. 

Women’s March Against Prawer

On March 21st a march organized by Bedouin women in opposition to the Prawer Plan took place in Be'er Sheva. Approximately 150 people joined the march, including members of the NCF. 

Wikileaks

 
In August, Wikileaks released an internal US government cable from 2005 that discloses the government of Israel’s intention to carry out forced relocations of 65,000 Bedouin in an effort to ‘develop’ the Negev. The relevant part of the cable can be found here, in section 7, under the title “Developing the Negev and Galilee with US Help”.
 

News Coverage in Jerusalem Post

 
Two important articles appeared in the Jerusalem Post this week. The first, published March 19^th, covered the Be’er Sheva District Courts rejection of six land claims cases filed on behalf of Al-Uqbi family, including claims to the land of Al Arakib. The second, published March 22^nd, covered the objection filed on behalf of a group of Bedouin to a military plan to build an intelligence complex close to their homes. 

8.3.12

Homes demolished and hundreds of dunams of crops destroyed

This week saw several major incidents of home and property destruction by the Israeli Lands Authority and the JNF. On the morning of March 6^th in Lakia 3 homes were demolished, despite a court injunction against their demolition. That same day the remaining homes in the village of Al Arakib were destroyed for the 33^rd time. For the first time village residents were asked to hand over their Israeli identity cards and were held until the end of the demolition.  On March 7^th hundreds of dunams of crops were destroyed when Israeli Lands Authority tractors deep plowed through planted fields in Tel-Arad, Aroer and Wadi Al-Na'am,. This destruction took place after the rainiest winter in ten years, and destroyed a particularly fruitful harvest. 

Open Letter to the Minister of Justice
On February 28^th  the NCF and a number of other organization sent an open letter to Professor Yaakov Neeman, Israeli Minister of Justice, protesting the Prawer plan and outlining its contradictions to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The letter quotes the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommendations against forced evacuation of Bedouin from their homes, and asks several questions concerning how the ministry plans to assimilate and implement these recommendations. The full letter can be found here on the NCF website. 


7.2.12

NCF submits report on racism against the Negev Bedouin to the UN