Dear friends and colleagues,   We wish to update you that as a result of NCF's international advocacy work regarding Police violence during protests in the Naqab in January 2022, the UN Special Rapporteurs on minority issues, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance have sent a communication to the State of Israel, requesting observations regarding the international human rights law, relevant to these allegations. Read here International advocacy Together with the OHCHR, we organized a roundtable meeting on shrinking civic space and the role of civil society and the UN human rights mechanisms in Israel. Present were SR and their mandates, Israeli civil society organizations as well as those that represent refugees and asylum seekers in Israel Digital Literacy for Bedouin women NCF's participants of the Digital Orientation project went on a tour in Jaffa last week, during which they met and received a lecture by activist Lisa Hanania on her social and political activities, and her experience in the Tel Aviv Jaffa municipal elections. Congratulations to them for their outstanding work. The Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions published an article about Displacements and demolitions in the Naqab, including contributions provided by NCF's research department. You are welcome to read it here An agreement recently signed between a well-known Israeli solar energy company, and one of the Bedouin families in the Negev, offers a solution to the problem of land ownership claims in the unrecognized villages. Merom Energy is planning a solar energy project in the Negev on 150 dunams of private land owned by the Anami family. Its purpose is to provide electricity to the area around the city of Beersheba, where many of the Bedouin villages without infrastructure, are located. Read more here Update on detention of Mariam Abu Kwider Following up the arrest of Bedouin student and human rights defender Mariam Abu Kwider on Thursday 12.5.2022, we want to update you that Mariam is still detained with home arrest, the Court has been extending her detention since she was charged with incitement. She is not allowed to use her phone and computer. Her detention is hindering her ability to continue with her studies at University. It is important to notice that the Human Rights Defenders Fund will not continue funding her legal representation. On 12.5.2022 several policemen in civilian clothes arrested the student of Pharmacy, after a demonstration in memory of journalist Sheerin Abu Aqla, held at Ben Gurion University that same day. She has been detained from that day until the hearing that will be held on Thursday 19th of May in the Magistrate’s Court. You are welcome to see here a video of the events filmed by her classmates and attached you will find a communication detailing the development of the events as well as today's Protocol of the Beer Sheva District Court.

Demolition of structures in 2021 Click to access the infographics NCF in the media:  A serious security situation? A police unit was shut down because of a pigeons' nest Click for the English version

Saʿwah demonstrations 13,16-01-2022, photo by Waleed Aloubra  Dear friends and colleagues, The Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) afforestation projects in the Naqab are threatening the Bedouins' particular lifestyle and creating fear and insecurity among residents, mainly women and children. The State’s mechanisms regarding the residents' protests have been highly repressive and violent. The Bedouin indigenous citizens deserve to live in security, with basic infrastructure, schools, and clinics, without home demolitions or State’s operations that threaten their lives and wellbeing. We appreciate every action you take to promote the Human Rights of the Bedouin indigenous communities in the Naqab.   Sincerely, Hanan Alsanah and Haia Noach NCF's Executive Directors Saʿwah demonstrations 13,16-01-2022, photo by Waleed Aloubra We call on the State to stop the JNF afforestation activities in the surroundings of the unrecognized village of Khirbit al-Watan, located south of the recognized Bedouin village of Saʿwah and on every piece of land that is under dispute. We are highly concerned regarding the State’s criminalization of the Bedouin citizens, while they attempt to claim their land rights and human rights, and the unacceptable treatment the authorities are taking against this minority, mainly towards women and children. Protests Saʿwah demonstrations 13,16-01-2022, photo by Waleed Aloubra On January 10th, a checkpoint was set up near the Bedouin village of Saʿwah as part of an aggressive police operation that included hundreds of police officers who were preparing for the JNF’s afforestation activities on behalf of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), partly on lands that the Naqab’s Bedouin citizens have ownership claims. The checkpoints were located in the area between Road 31 and Road 25—which prevented and delayed the entry of vehicles to their villages, including school children buses that were attempting to bring children back home. Saʿwah demonstrations 13-01-2022, photo by Waleed Aloubra Saʿwah demonstrations 13-01-2022, photo by Waleed Aloubra On Thursday 13.12.22, the Naqab’s Bedouin residents organized a demonstration against lands uprooting and dispossession, demanding the government to halt the KKL-JNF harmful actions and recognize the Bedouin villages in the Beer Sheva Valley. Within eight minutes since the beginning of the demonstration, the Police dispersed violently the protest, using tear gas drones, shock grenades, police riding horses and rubber bullets. Although the demonstration was stopped, the detentions continued afterwards and in the following days, reaching an approximate number of 150 arrests, as of today, with 60 still in custody. Furthermore, during the protests, 50 minors were violently arrested and 30 indictments were filed as of today. Police violence during protests against KKL afforestation 13.1.22 Police violence during protests against KKL afforestation 13.1.22 Local Advocacy We have been working together with other 15 organizations and released a statement against the KKL activities We signed a letter to the Minister of Economy and Industry, Ms. Orna Barbivai, to adopt right away the plan of the Government Employment Agency and to establish 5 employment offices in the Bedouin communities, and even extend it to a sixth office. The letter was signed by Mayor Rahat, Head of Regional Council Al Qasum and Neve Midbar, and Head of Local Councils of Tel Sheva, Hura and Ararah. As a result of our local advocacy work, several inquiries have been sent to the Knesset. MK Ayman Odeh (Joint List) sent a query requesting information about the number of arrested people during the last protests in the Naqab, including minors and women, as well as guidelines and measures taken to disperse the demonstrations and detail regarding the type of tear gas that was sprayed from drones by the police. MK Sami Abu Shehadeh (Joint List), requested a query about details of the process of recognition of the Naqab’s Bedouin communities, as agreed on the Coalition Agreement signed in June, 2021.  MK Mossi Raz (Meretz) requested a debate in the Knesset’s Internal Security Committee about Police violence during the latests’ protests in the Naqab International Advocacy We organized a briefing with the European Union, to 27 member States as well as Canada, Switzerland, and the US on the topic of Dispossession Through Afforestation: The Impact Of The JNF’s Plantations on the Human Rights of Bedouin Citizens of Israel living in the Naqab/Negev Support NCF'S activities and projects Our local advocacy coordinator, Huda, will be participating in a webinar organized by the Arab Center Washington DC, about the latest developments in the Naqab January 2022 27 Sign up here Click on the flier to access a visual campaign we developed with the alternative language school of This is Not an Ulpan Copyright © 2022 Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality, All rights reserved. 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