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NCF's Update from the Negev-Naqab




29.9.23




Dear friends and partners,

We wish you an excellent Jewish New Year filled with health, peace, equality, justice and better educational and professional opportunities for the most disadvantaged! We look forward to continuing our work with you in the upcoming year.
 

Protest due to lack of classrooms and transportation:

Parents, students and teachers from the Bedouin communities located along Route 40 organized a protest in the Kiryat Hamemshala (Government Center) in Beer Sheva to highlight the challenges faced by Bedouin children in the Negev-Naqab region. The protest pointed to the government's neglect to provide enough classrooms for these children. Indeed, hundreds of Bedouin children are currently learning in tents or staying at home due to a lack of schools and classrooms. Many protesters wore Corona face masks with an "X" to symbolize frustration and the futility of raising one's voice when no one is listening. 

"I too want to learn, but I don't have a class. I don't have transportation."

At the beginning of the school year, some students were forced to travel long distances on camels or donkeys to reach their schools due to the government's failure to provide transportation. This transportation crisis affected hundreds of students, forcing them to find their way to school in dreadfully hot conditions. The bus companies responsible for transporting approximately 6,500 students daily abruptly ceased operations, citing claims of unpaid bills dating back to February 2023.

The protest serves as a stark reminder of ongoing disparities in educational opportunities in Israel and a plea for justice, equality, and the right to a quality education for all children. The hope is that this demonstration will ignite meaningful change and pave the way for a brighter and more equitable future for Bedouin students in the Negev-Naqab, or at the very least, cause the government to provide the bare minimum: Transportation and classrooms!

Children going to school in the Negev-Naqab

Update on home demolitions

Since the new Israeli government was sworn in, the number of home demolitions and the issuance of demolition orders and warnings had increased dramatically. Specifically, September was a challenging month. Recently, 68 buildings in Bedouin villages in the Negev-Naqab have been destroyed. Several of these buildings were home to families. As has happened in the past, most of these families did not have the time to gather their belongings before the demolition and lost everything in the process.

 From January 2023 until mid-September, the Ministry of National Security, through the Southern Administration for the Coordination of Land Law Enforcement and in cooperation with the Israel Police, worked to demolish no less than 3,085 buildings and issued 1,855 demolition orders – thus achieving a despicable new record of destruction and displacement.

NCF's Executive Director, Haia Noach, and Local Advocacy Coordinator Huda Abu Obaid on Kan Channel, talking about the last wave of home demolitions.

New calendar:

On the occasion of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), it is with great pleasure that we have published our new calendar, proudly highlighting photographs taken by children from unrecognized villages in the Negev-Naqab. Through the lens of a camera, the children have the opportunity to document their lives and the stories in their village. This calendar is a result of their work. We hope you enjoy this calendar as much as we have enjoyed helping to bring it to life.

By buying our calendar, you are supporting our work!

 

You can order the calendar here:
NCF's  new calendar

Join Us in Making a Difference for the Bedouin Community in the Negev-Naqab

Today, we are excited to launch a call for donations to support our vital work with the Bedouin community in the Negev-Naqab.

Your contribution has the power to make a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals and families in the Negev-Naqab. Whether you choose to make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor, your generosity will help us bridge the gap and continue our important work.

We are deeply grateful for your support.

Together, we can continue making a difference in the Negev-Naqab community.

Donate Here :)
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Our mailing address is: intl.advocacy@dukium.org

In accordance with the law, the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality is proud to note that as a result of cooperation with friendly countries and international organizations that promote human rights, most of the funding for our activities comes from "foreign entities.



13.9.23



Dear diplomats, friends & partners,

The Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality is proud to present its 2022 Annual Report, expressing gratitude to partners, donors, and supporters for their unwavering support and collaboration in the Negev/Naqab region. Without them, our organization would not have been able to make such a meaningful impact.

Our work remains crucial, and we are more determined than ever to continue striving for a just and equitable society in the Negev/Naqab. This is why NCF will continue to stand with Bedouin communities in their struggle, to press their demands for equality, and to support them in resisting the dispossession of their villages, heritage, and traditional way of life.


Meeting with the Austrian Ambassador
 

It was a pleasure to meet H.E. Ambassador Nikolaus Lutterotti at the Austrian Embassy last month. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell you more about the history and the current situation and struggles of the Bedouin community in the Negev. 

Meeting with the Austrian Ambassador (Photo: H.E Nikolaus Lutterotti, Ambassador of Austria, Khalil Alamour, NCF’s board member, Huda Abu Obaid, Local Advocacy Coordinator, Chloe Portheault, International Advocacy coordinator).

Infogram on Home Demolitions 2022

You can now find the exact number of Home demolitions for the year 2022 on our website. 

House demolitions are a tool used by the State to try to drive Bedouin residents out of unrecognized villages and forcefully relocate them in crowded municipalities without regard for their social structures and traditional agrarian livelihoods. By making life in unrecognized villages unbearable, people are made to move to places they would not otherwise go. Tens of thousands of Bedouins in the Negev/Naqab are currently living in homes that are subject to demolition orders. The issuance of those demolition orders is only possible because there are no approved building plans for their villages. NCF professes that these practices violate the right of citizens to adequate housing, the right to liberty and security of the person recognized in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Only official State recognition of the villages and the initiation of participatory and communitarian planning and building processes will create trust among the Bedouin community members and bring them to work with the State.

 Increase in home demolitions 

Israeli forces performed a large number of house demolitions in August. For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, two Ministers were present at the demolition of Bedouin homes in the Negev-Naqab. One of them was Itamar Ben Gvir, who extolled what he called "a sacred work". On August 31st alone, no fewer than 29 buildings, including 12 houses, were demolished by Israeli forces. The Bedouin families who lived in these houses did not even have time to pack anything. The next day, the children started the new school year without a roof over their heads.

NCF’s Local Advocacy Coordinator Huda Abu Obaid in an interview on Musawa Channel after a large home demolition operation in the Negev-Naqab.

172 Murders in the Arab community since the beginning of 2023

In the past month, NCF has participated in several protests against the violence plaguing the Arab community and the inaction of the Israeli government. Some of these protests were met with violence by the police. The police claim that their officers have been too busy with the protests against the government’s judicial reform to deal with this ongoing wave of violence. This is yet another pretext to distract public opinion from the abandonment of the Palestinian citizens of Israel. Instead of offering solutions, the government continues to incite against its Arab citizens, or, as the “Haaretz” journalist Jack Khoury wrote, “keeps kicking them while they are down”. 

To make matters worse, Finance Minister Smotrich’s refusal to transfer the 200 million shekels promised by the previous government to the Arab communities threatens to destabilize their local councils with a clear danger of severe consequences. As the most vulnerable community in Israel, the Bedouins will undoubtedly pay a heavy price.

Along with 27 other civil society organizations, NCF issued a letter to Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Interior Moshe Arbel, demanding to allocate the budget promised to the Arab local authorities. This budget is crucial to their socio-economic development. Failure to transfer this money will only reward criminal organizations and condemn Arab society to poverty.

The 28 civil society organizations who issued the letter  to Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Interior Moshe Arbel.

Protest against the wave of violence in Arab communities and against the inaction of the government in Tel Aviv.








9.7.23  
(etwas anders als am 4.7.23)


  • Al Araqib: Follow up: Last demolitions & trial results

After a lengthy legal procedure that lasted for 15 years, the District Court in Beer Sheva rejected the ownership claims of the residents of al-ʿArāgīb. Judge Geula Levin dismissed the plaintiffs' arguments that the property expropriation procedure carried out in 1954 under the directives of the then Finance Minister Levy Eshkol was flawed.

Judge Levin did not accept the contention of the plaintiffs that the Land Acquisition Law of 1953 was designed to legalize expropriations carried out between the State's foundation and 1952 "without legal authority".

On Saturday, July 29th, the residents of Al-ʿArāgīb, their relatives and several Human Rights organizations, including NCF, will hold a large protest gathering, in the village on road 40, commemorating the 13th year of destruction of the village (Al-ʿArāgīb was demolished for the 218th time on June 19th) and protesting the judicial decision and the continuing home demolitions. Your presence and support will be much appreciated!

A home being demolished in Al-ʿArāgīb. The photo was taken by A, resident of Al-ʿArāgīb
  • Chikli’s Plan to Develop the Negev

The Ministerial Committee for Regulating the Settlement and Economic Development of the Bedouin Community in the Negev recently approved the Chikli Plan. Chikli, who, as Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Minister of Social Equality, is responsible for the Bedouin community, presented the committee with a plan that is essentially aggressive and aimed at concentrating enforcement efforts in four places, including Rahat and its environs, Hurah, Mareit in the Arad Valley area, and Bir Hadaj.

The plan could lead to a massive eviction of villages, including the inhabitants of Tal-Arad near Arad and later the inhabitants of Awajan near Lakiya. The plan aims to quickly complete the process of forced concentration in existing towns without adding or recognizing any Bedouin village. This contradicts the government's plan to build 14 new Jewish settlements in the Negev. It vaguely promises to speed up the establishment of industrial zones in the Negev-Naqab, but provides no funds for this purpose. On the other hand, it allocates funds to strengthen law enforcement forces, in particular, 18 million shekels (almost 4.5 million euros) for the police to use force against Bedouin villages located on future national infrastructure.

We again emphasize that while the Israeli Government is ostensibly promoting the development of the Negev-Naqab, it does so without consulting with the Bedouin community. Contrary to what should be in a democracy, the Government continues to see the Bedouins as an obstacle to development rather than as partners in the decision-making process. It should be noted that none of the Bedouin leaders or representatives were invited for consultation, a decision was simply made on their behalf. 

As a result, no viable alternatives for preserving Bedouin communities and serving them and their growth were considered. The Israeli Government continues to demolish their homes and expel them, against their will, from their ancestral lands for the benefit of others, contrary to international conventions ratified by Israel.

As a reminder, in 1986 the United Nations recognized the “right to development” in its Declaration on the Right to Development. It states that “development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom." In 2007, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People recognized the right to development as an indigenous right.

 
  • Children’s Photography Workshops: 

This month, our team conducted several Photography workshops with children in the unrecognized villages of Umm al-Ḥīrān and ʿAtīr. During the workshops, the children talked about school, the end of the school year, their grades and what they want to learn in the future, and what opportunities they have. They talked about the holidays (the upcoming Eid). They also talked about the possibility of moving as a result of the new plans to displace them. All these matters worry them greatly!

  
Photo taken by the children of Umm al-Ḥīrān after a photography workshop: The children drew pictures on a free topic of their choice.





4.7.23



  • Al Araqib: Follow up: Last demolitions & trial results

 

After a lengthy legal procedure that lasted for 15 years, the District Court in Beer Sheva rejected the ownership claims of the residents of al-ʿArāgīb. Judge Geula Levin dismissed the plaintiffs' arguments that the property expropriation procedure carried out in 1954 under the directives of the then Finance Minister Levy Eshkol was flawed.

Judge Levin did not accept the contention of the plaintiffs that the Land Acquisition Law of 1953 was designed to legalize expropriations carried out between the State's foundation and 1952 "without legal authority".

On Saturday, July 29th, the residents of Al-ʿArāgīb, their relatives and several Human Rights organizations, including NCF, will hold a large protest gathering, at the junction of the village on road 40, commemorating the 13th year of destruction of the village (Al-ʿArāgīb was demolished for the 218th time on June 19th) and protesting the judicial decision and the continuing home demolitions. Your presence and support will be much appreciated!

A home being demolished in Al-ʿArāgīb. The photo was taken by Aziz, resident of Al-ʿArāgīb

 

  • New Plan to Build in the Negev

 

This week, the Bedouin ministry committee approved Minister Amichai Chikli’s plan for the Negev-Naqab in the next coming years. The aggressive plan has lots of sticks and a few carrots. Chikli, who is the Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Minister for Social Equality, said that the plan will enable the State to solve all of the problems of unrecognized villages around Rahat. Really? Given the poor, recycled and aggressive ideas he offered, there are many reasons to doubt the feasibility of the program, but it is certain that it will cause damage to the Bedouin community and widen the gap between the community and the State, a gap that is unfortunately growing every year. 

We emphasize once again that while the Israeli Government is ostensibly promoting the development of the Negev-Naqab, it does so without consulting with the Bedouin community. Contrary to what should be in a democracy, the Government continues to see the Bedouins as an obstacle to development, rather than as partners in the decision-making process. It should be noted that none of the Bedouin representatives were invited for consultation, a decision was simply made on their behalf. 

As a result, no viable alternatives for preserving Bedouin communities and serving them and their growth were considered. The Israeli Government continues to demolish their homes and to expel them, against their will, from their ancestral lands for the benefit of others, contrary to international conventions ratified by Israel.

As a reminder, in 1986 the United Nations recognized the “right to development” in its Declaration on the Right to Development. It states that “development is a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom." In 2007, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognized the right to development as an indigenous right.

 
  • Children’s Photography Workshops: 

This month, our team conducted several Photography workshops with children in the unrecognized villages of Umm al-Ḥīrān and ʿAtīr. During the workshops, the children talked about school, the end of the school year, their grades and what they want to learn in the future, and what opportunities they have. They talked about the holidays (the upcoming Eid). They also talked about the possibility of moving as a result of the new plans to displace them. All these matters worry them greatly!

  
Photo taken by the children of Umm al-Ḥīrān after a photography workshop: The children drew pictures on a free topic of their choice.




13.6.23


Dear diplomats, friends and partners,

The last couple of months have been hectic! A lot has happened, and like many other non-profit organizations in Israel, it has us worrying and then some! 

To keep you updated with the situation and our work, we summarized in the following newsletter what seems to us as the most important things to know. If you share our concerns and wish to know more, you can contact us, and we will gladly answer all of your questions!

Update on the planned NGO taxation law

Just recently, the Israeli government planned to introduce Knesset legislation that would place a 65% tax on any funds received by Israeli NGOs from foreign governments, if the organizations were involved in advancing any public issue in the Knesset, a court of law, the Government, or a local council two years before or two years after receiving the funds. The obvious goal of the proposed law is to cut off badly needed funds from all human rights organizations in Israel. The proposed law is a menace to the very existence of our organization, and such legislation could have disastrous effects on the lives and human rights of the Bedouin community, as no one would have the possibility to report human rights violations perpetrated by the government and its administrative branches. The legislation obviously intended to damage and neutralize Israeli civil society. Indeed, one of the pillars of an effective democratic state is a thriving civil society.

After a wave of protests from friendly foreign governments, PM Netanyahu decided to set the proposal aside, thus removing the immediate danger. It is important to note that the proposal still rests on the table and can be brought back to the Knesset at any time.

We wish to express our gratitude to the many diplomats for their support and opposition to this dreadful law!
 

al-ʿArāgīb

Most of you have heard about this unrecognized Bedouin village located west of Route 40. al-ʿArāgīb was demolished twice during May alone. As the protests against the home demolitions and evictions have taken place every Sunday for 13  years, and even though the trial to determine the ownership of the land is still ongoing, the harassment of its residents by Israeli authorities continues. On May 30th, the Yoav unit raided the village at 5:15 am and arrested Sheikh Sayyach Al-tori, his son Aziz and Sabach, Aziz’s wife. The three were interrogated for many hours and were eventually released. The next day, al-ʿArāgīb was destroyed once again for the 217th time since 2010.

Residents of al-ʿArāgīb during the vigil that takes place every Sunday.
 

Israeli Government plans to build new Jewish settlements in the Negev on Bedouin land and villages.

While the Government continues to refuse to promote the recognition of more than 30 Bedouin communities, it has set a precedent in allocating 1.6 billion NIS (approximately 437 million USD) for the accelerated establishment of 14 new Jewish communities in the Negev during the next two years. This is part of a large wave of planned efforts to expand Jewish settlement in the area. The heads of the coalition openly declared that the goal of the settlement wave was to ensure Jewish dominance of the land and “demographic balance.”
 

It is crucial to realize that some of these settlements will be built in place of Bedouin villages without any consideration for the families living there, including some of our dear colleagues.


*If you wish to learn more about this ongoing issue, read this article by NCF's Executive Diretor Haia Noach, and Shmulik David.
The map shows where the government plans to build some of the new Settlements in the Negev in the next two years - Map provided by the organization 'Bimkom' and translated into English by NCF with their agreement.

Lack of schools and kindergartens in the Negev-Naqab

 

Six years ago, the Education Ministry presented a plan to reduce the number of Bedouin children who don't attend preschool. However, due mainly to the lack of kindergartens in the unrecognized Bedouin villages, 5,045 children from the Bedouin community (17% of the 3 to 5 years old) are not registered in an educational facility, while almost all Jewish children the same age are in educational facilities. 

Several studies have proven the benefits of preschool education, and we will continue to demand that the Israeli government fulfill its duties and provide the necessary infrastructures to allow all children the same rights and access to early education.

Tours of the Negev-Naqab

The Negev Coexistence Forum conducts dozens of tours every year – for diplomats, groups, and individuals who wish to learn about the long-time struggle of the Bedouin community for recognition and respect of their human rights, from the community members and the villagers themselves. 

During the month of May alone, we conducted six tours with students from Beit Berl College, a group of German students, activists from the Churches with No Apartheid in the United States and several feminist groups against house demolition, including Itach Maaki, al Tufala and Sidreh. We also had a tou with representatives from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Human rights tour of the Negev-Nakab conducted with the group "Churches with No Apartheid.

Our meetings at the Knesset

Huda Abu-Oiad, our Local Advocacy coordinator, participated in several discussions at the Knesset. She brilliantly exposed the difficulties encountered by the Bedouin community in the Negev-Naqab, especially by the Bedouin women exposing the Government's responsibility for the lack of infrastructure such as clinics and kindergartens not only in unrecognized villages but also in recognized Bedouin townships. 
As part of his work, the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality takes part in discussions at the Israeli Parlement once a week.

Huda Abu-Oiad at the Knesset (Israeli Parlement) on May 30, 2023.

Our photography projects
 

Our photography projects are doing great. Over the past weeks, 4 workshops were conducted with children from unrecognized villages and 4 others with women as part of the Yuṣawiruna – Photographing for Human Rights project. Nura and Intisar, our two photo coordinators on the field, talked about dreams and how to bring them to light in photos. The topic of dreams became a fascinating ongoing discussion with the various groups. Another topic that often comes up with groups of children these days is how home demolitions affect their lives. 

Photography workshop in Bīr Haddāj

“Fusing Horizons”exhibition

The Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality has the great pleasure of taking part in the exhibition in honor of Yossi Yonah's book launch, “Fusing Horizons''. The exhibition presents several photos made by women from the unrecognized Bedouin villages of ʿAtīr, as-Sirrah, and Tal ʿArād. These photos are part of the Negev Coexistence Forum’s human rights Yuṣawiruna project - photographing for human rights.

 

The exhibition is being shown at the Sapir Gallery in the city of Sderot. It started on Wednesday, 31 May, and will continue until June 29. You can still visit!

 
Exhibition opening in honor of Professor Yossi Yonah's book launch “Fusing Horizon”.
Bellow, the part of the exposition devoted to the the Negev Coexistence Forum’s Yuṣawiruna project - photographs for human rights








20.4.23






4.4.23

NCF Declaration of Opinion concerning the recent death of Muhammad Khaled al-Asibi

Israel has been rocked in recent weeks between democracy and dictatorship and internal struggles between its residents.
Under the auspices of this debate and this rift, there have been serious incidents concerning the behavior of the police towards the demonstrators and towards the minority populations in Israel.
The most recent and terrible of the police actions is the killing of Muhammad Khaled al-Asibi by policemen at the Chain Gate in the Alaqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem. The police are attempting to cover up and present the dead man as a terrorist and the one who opened fire on the policemen. These unfounded accusations follow a pattern that we have seen again and again in the past. Yesterday, the Negev Coexistence Forum issued the following declaration of opinion:

 

NCF Opinion: The death of the late Muhammad al-Asibi

Early Saturday morning, a medical student, Muhammad Khaled al-Asibi, was shot to death at the Chain Gate, one of the entrances to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Al-Asibi was returning from the dawn prayer at the Al Aqsa Mosque. The police claim that the young man grabbed a policeman's weapon and was about to shoot nearby policewomen. Those claims are based on the reports of the police officers and have not been verified, either on security camera videos or any other documentation. Palestinian eyewitnesses describe a conflict between police officers and young people, in the middle of which al-Asibi was shot.

In complex situations, the police must act professionally, with maximum restraint in the use of force, particularly in circumstances where a mistake could lead to the flare-up of conflicts and have far-reaching consequences.

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Affairs called a strike on Sunday in all public and commercial institutions in Arab communities.

We are troubled by the possibility that the police are not presenting reliable and complete information about the incident and even may be preventing access to such information.

We join the broad public demand for a comprehensive, reliable, and quick investigation of the event. It is only appropriate that the representatives of the family and independent organizations participate in the investigation.

We are very disturbed by the lack of ability of the investigating authorities, including the Police Investigation Unit, to conduct reliable investigations which are not subject to institutional pressures. This incident highlights the vital need for professional policing and the danger inherent in establishing unprofessional civilian police forces, and in particular political militias, especially in light of past experience, including the investigation into the death, and the events surrounding the death of the late Ya'acob Abu Al-Qian who was shot by police officers in Umm Al-Hiran. During that failed and biased investigation, false accusations were hurled at the grieving family, and allegations were repeatedly made, which turned out to be false five years later.

We are very disturbed by the inability of the police to maintain proper standards of legal action when the Minister of Internal Security incites violent policing and among other things, repeatedly calls for ending clashes with Arab protesters by way of lethal violence.

In view of what is known about the Police Investigation Unit's failures in many investigations, we join the family's claim for the establishment of an autonomous and independent inspection committee to investigate this incident.

We call on the Government, the Knesset, and the courts to recognize the clear danger resulting from the absence of an independent investigation that can earn public trust. The Police Investigation Unit must be strengthened, and its full independence guaranteed, and in particular, its capacity to undertake autonomous and independent investigations.

We call for the resignation of Minister Ben-Gvir, who repeatedly violates basic norms of police conduct, and at the same time, incites against the Arab public.

Our hearts go out to the community of Ḥūrah that is dealing with the loss of a young life, and to the grieving family.


For any further information, do not hesitate to contact us by replying to this email or write us at intl.advocacy@dukium.org


15.3.23


Dear friends and colleagues,

Our hopes that the new Israeli government will carry out and promote the five-year plan for the development of the Bedouin population in the Negev and promote the development of the infrastructure and services of those villages that were recognized by the last government have been dashed.
In place of infrastructure development, the Bedouin communities in the Negev/Naqab are subject to ever increasing home demolitions, fed by utilizing hi-tech cyber equipment to scan vast areas that enable the issuance of hundreds of demolition orders at a time.
Last week the Bedouins from the Negev/Naqab, along with Arab and Jewish supporters from both the Negev and other regions of Israel, held a mass protest demanding equal rights, a place at the table in every instance of planning involving their communities, and against the unacceptable practice of mass home demolitions.
We thank you for your continuing interest and support.

Yours sincerely,

Haia Noach
Executive Director
Negev Coexistence Forum

Updates from the field
Last week we published the data concerning home demolitions in 2022 in the Negev. 2745 structures were demolished in 2022, a 5% decline compared to 2020 which was a record year with 3004 structures that were demolished. This is still an extremely high number of building demolitions, and apparently also of the number of house demolitions which grew to more than 700 homes.
 
In recent weeks the Government's enforcement policy has intensified significantly.
Acts of destruction and oppression follow one after another at an ever-increasing pace:
  • A little over a month ago, the Keren Kayemet Layisrael (KKL) began preparing many tracts in the region of Bīr al-Ḥamām for afforestation. This activity has only one goal - to ensure that the lands can never be used for the growing needs of the villages located near them, neither in the present nor in the future. Before the planting, hundreds of dunams of fields in which barley was sown to provide feed for animals were plowed under.
  • In the following weeks demolition orders were issued in Bīr Haddāj, a village that was recognized more than 20 years ago.
  • Approximately 450 warnings before demolition were distributed within a few days (19.2 – 22.2). This is the largest single number of notifications ever distributed in the Negev, and perhaps in Israel, since the establishment of the State! The authorities even boasted about new hi-tech cyber equipment, produced by Rafael, that enables them to screen an area of a one million dunams and issue hundreds of demolition orders. The demolition orders were directed towards homes and structures such as: livestock pens, fences, and sheep enclosures.
  • In the same week, on 22.2.23, 7 houses of the Al H’ol family were destroyed as part of 'enforcement promoting regulation’ in the region of ʿArʿarah. As a result, approximately 80 family members were left homeless.
  • A week later, on 5.3.23, eight tractors plowed fields over a large area in the village of Saʿwah so as to destroy the field crops that the Bedouins managed to grow with great difficulty to feed their livestock on arid lands without any water.
  • Plowing under of hundreds of dunams in Saʿwah took place on 5.3.2023.
  • And on 8.3.23, 4 homes were destroyed in Saʿwah, one house in the village of al-Bāṭ, two houses in Bīr Haddāj, and the next day one more house in Saʿwah.
Last Thursday, 9.3.23, a demonstration protesting the home demolitions, organized by the Steering Committee of the  Arabs in the Negev, the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages and Heads of Arab Municipalities in the Negev, took place in the Government Compound in Beer Sheva with approximately 1000 participants, Arabs and Jews.
The tension between the Bedouin community and the State is evident within the community, and the tension between the community and the authorities is being felt. In preparation for the approaching Ramadan, we recommend to the Prime Minister and his staff to immediately stop the demolition of houses and the distribution of demolition and plowing orders, in order to avoid an inevitable conflict with the Bedouin population in the Negev / Naqab. Building a joint society in the Negev cannot be done while excluding the Bedouin community and at its expense. Only distributive justice, on an equal basis, and the development of the two communities that live here together will be sustainable.

For any further information, do not hesitate to contact us by replying to this email or write us at intl.advocacy@dukium.org