13.12.20

Through their work, women are able to document their lives in constant struggle for recognition, human rights and dignity.

9.12.20

24.11.20

Elianne Kremer NCF intl.advocacy@dukium.org

12.11.20

The event which led to the indictment took place in July 2016, when human rights defender Sheikh Sayah Abu Madhi’m, three of his sons and two other family members were arrested while peacefully protesting in front of bulldozers that were working on the village’s lands on behalf of the Jewish National Fund. The six, one of whom was 80 years old at the time, were arrested and later released after signing release terms in which they agreed not to interfere with the construction. Nevertheless, in January 2017, they were all indicted on charges of obstruction to an officer. The indictment stated that the defendants assembled and refused to leave the place while shouting and pushing the officers, an allegation which they all denied.
All six defendants were represented by HRDF-funded lawyer, Adv. Shade Eben Bari. During the trial it became clear that the police had falsely arrested the defendants and that the indictment was unfounded. For example, Aziz Abu Madhi’m, was standing on a remote hill when an officer spotted him and ordered for his arrest for no reason. Some were arrested while sitting down and resting, and others were peacefully protesting when arrested. In addition, the indictment contradicted earlier police reports which stated that “no force whatsoever was used during the event”. Due to the substantial evidential difficulties, the court urged the prosecution to reach a plea bargain and eventually it was agreed that the indictment would be withdrawn. 
This is only one of many criminal cases concerning members of the of the Abu Madhi’m family, who are being prosecuted for their non-violent struggle for the recognition of their land rights in Al-‘Arāgīb. On September 21st, 2020, three members of the Abu Madhi’m family were sentenced to imprisonment after being convicted of three charges earlier in 2019. An appeal against the ruling was submitted to the District Court by HRDF-funded lawyer, Adv. Michal Pomeranz and the case is still pending.    
NCF will continue to support Bedouin human rights defenders active in their struggle for indigenous land rights and recognition, who face ongoing legal prosecution, and in particular those from the village of Al-‘Arāgīb, which has been demolished 179 times and faces daily oppression by the Israeli authorities.

27.10.20

Bedouin rights to housing, health and dignity are crucial today as ever.
We support the residents of unrecognized villages in their constant struggle for recognition, human rights, and a life not under threat.

To continue reading about home demolitions in the Naqab, please see our 2020 Demolition report

 

15.10.20

 

 

by Khalil Al-amour and Haia Noach, 05.10.20 – Published in Hebrew in Haokets

The Bedouin Authority is striving to differentiate itself from the enforcement agencies, and to brand itself as an agency focused on development and settlement. It is making use of its inflated publicity budget to highlight its role in building neighborhoods and laying infrastructure, but in practice it is mainly involved in the destruction of villages and the eviction of residents. It is a key partner in the "Enforcement Forum", a forum that convenes weekly and makes decisions about enforcement policy and enforcement activities. This institutionalized body, sets priorities and guidelines for the annual destruction of up to 2,500 buildings in the Naqab.

Recently, the Chairmen of the Local Bedouin Councils and representatives of the Joint List in the Knesset have called for its dissolution.

The Human Rights Defenders Fund (HRDF) and the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality (NCF) wish to update you on the highly disturbing situation surrounding the Israeli Government's continuing harassment and persecution of the Bedouin people, residents of Al-‘Arāgīb.

On September 21^st, three members of the Abu Madhi’m A-Turi family of the unrecognized Bedouin village Al-‘Arāgīb, were sentenced to imprisonment by the Magistrate’s Court after being convicted of three charges earlier in 2019: trespass with intent to commit an offense, violation of lawful direction and unlawful entry to public land. Aziz Abu Madhi’m and his brother Seif, were sentenced to six and three months in prison, respectively. Their father, Sheikh Sayah, was sentenced to three months of community service due to his age and health condition. Another family member, Salem, was sentenced to four months in prison. The four were also fined extremely high sums, ranging between ILS 12,000-30,000 each, and ILS 77,000 in total.

Sheikh Sayah and his family who are represented by HRDF-funded lawyer, Michal Pomeranz, are planning to appeal the decision. Following the ruling, Attorney Pomeranz stated: “The Court imposed upon the Abu Madhi’m family an unfounded sentence, which does not comply with the previous and likewise severe, verdict in the case of Sheikh Sayah. The Court unjustifiably sends people who are not in any way criminals to prison, and we will appeal this outrageous decision”. Adv. Pomeranz filed a motion for a stay of execution of the sentence and it was approved by the Magistrate's Court, under the condition that each of the defendants will provide ILS 5,000 guarantee within one week.    
Sheikh Sayah was previously convicted in 2017 of 19 counts of trespassing, 19 counts of unlawful entry into public land and one count of breach of law, all of which relate solely to his persistent struggle to safeguard his family’s historical rights over their land. He was sentenced to ten months in prison, five months’ probation, and ILS 36,000 fine.
 
These are only some of many criminal, civil and administrative legal procedures executed by the State against the Abu Madhi’m family and other indigenous Bedouin activists, in an attempt to prevent them from resisting violations of their rights, and as deterrence to all human rights defenders protecting Bedouin indigenous rights.
 
The criminalization of the Abu-Madhi’m family for living on their land, and the findings that this is an offence that carries prison sentences, effectively criminalizes thousands of Bedouin citizens with similar status on the land. There is a reason to believe that the Abu-Madhi’m family has been singled out for enforcement action to the full extent of the law because they have opted for a non-violent struggle for Bedouins rights in the Negev.    
 
HRDF and NCF will continue to support Bedouin defenders active in the struggle for land rights and recognition, who face ongoing legal prosecution, in particular from the village of al-ʿArāgīb, which was demolished 178 times and faces daily oppression by the Israeli authorities.
 
If you have any further questions regarding these and other matters concerning the valiant struggle of the residents of Al-‘Arāgīb and the Bedouin community to continue their traditional way of life on their ancestral land, please contact NCF and HRDF’s International Advocacy Coordinators.
 

The Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality wishes all of our friends from around the world a year full of justice, social change, health and equality. NCF will continue working towards the recognition of the unrecognized villages in the Naqab and Human Rights for its residents. For the new upcoming year, we envision a more just society for all the communities and individuals in these lands.
 

We wish all of our partners and friends shana tova!

This year, you can have the amazing photographic work of children from the village of Al-Lagia. The photos describe their childhood experiences, living in the open spaces of the desert, their way of life and their family traditions. The children provide us with a unique and personal point of view to life in an unrecognized neighbourhood; with no running water, no connection to electricity, no playgrounds or any other basic services. 

To purchase the calendar as a donation to NCF's documentation projects, please send an email to: office@dukium.org or click here

Thank you for supporting Arab Bedouin women and children!

Dear supporters and friends,

We would like to thank you for your mobilization and long commitment to the Arab-Bedouin struggle in the unrecognized villages. This support allows for building a critical discourse in which pressure on the government regarding provision of services and infrastructure as well as human rights and lands rights recognition can lead to social change in the Arab Bedouin villages in the Naqab. We would not have been able to carry out our activities on the villages and in the international sphere without your help.

Thanks to you, there are women, children and Bedouin communities who learn and document their Human Rights through photography, expressing the difficulties in their daily lives; learning ways to cope with police violence through documentation, art and activism. This knowledge is amplified and empowering for Bedouin community members mainly during these difficult times; when the State continues to exercise injustice towards them. We will continue working together against the existing challenges that stem from racist and negligent policies that harm the wellbeing of Bedouin citizens in the Negev. 

Our ongoing work at the international level will continue in the forms of reports and petitions every time we identify cases of injustice, negligence, violence and Human Rights violations. Likewise, we commit to continue facilitating tools of international advocacy and freedom of expression to the residents, until the Negev becomes a fair and equal place for all residents.

You are welcome to make a donation and support the continuation of our work in the Naqab here

We would like to update you on a number of issues and struggles that we have been dealing with recently. At the end of May, as we had previously informed, the JNF began to afforest the Khirbit al-Watan area. Although the plantings ceased after a public struggle, we would like to explain further the problem with tree-planting in the Naqab; what we did in the last months to help students learn remotely as a result of Covid-19; and educational projects we have on the horizon. The new Jewish year is coming up soon and we would like to take the opportunity to offer you NCF’s new calendar with photos taken by Arab Bedouin children.

 

We want to share with you our wishes of health and a more just society for all the Naqab's citizens,
 

Planting trees in the Negev as a key tool for dispossession
 

To continue reading the article written by Haia Noach in this regard please click here

Photo: Rida Abu El Kihan, Umm al-Ḥīrān, 01.03.2018,  Yuṣawiruna – Photographing for Human Rights

The digital literacy project is underway 

Last month, the forum's coordinators of the documentation and freedom of expression projects - Laila and Sabrin - held an initial workshop of its kind for women in unrecognized villages. The workshop is part of a series of trainings in digital literacy to learn computer and digital applications along with rights advocacy. This project is conducted in partnership with the Law Clinic of Sapir College.
 
The purpose of the project, which has just begun, is to enable learning the use of smartphones and computers to facilitate the processes of exercising the rights of the residents of the villages. The project stems from the mapping of needs we performed during the period Covid-19 outburst, in which many residents expressed the need to be connected to the outside world and acquire essential skills for employment and communication
This need has been exacerbated by the worldwide crisis and the shift to digital services, which most governmental ministries and academic institutions are implementing. In the Arab-Bedouin villages, where the poorest population in the country lives, there is an urgent need for a correct and useful knowledge to understand how to best exercise basic rights of health, welfare, education and employment.

Purchase NCF's calendar here and support us to continue working with children from the Arab Bedouin communities

NCF has released a new report concerning home demolitions and other actions taken by the State of Israel with the purpose of eviction of the Arab Bedouin communities from their lands in the Naqab/Negev.

Drone based surveillance, intimidation, police violence, interrogations, lawsuits and demolitions are some of the tactics that the State of Israel has been utilizing to expel the Bedouin communities from their native lands, violating several UN international conventions relating to housing and human rights.
 
The report exposes the impact that this discriminatory policy has on thirty five unrecognized villages (referred to as “illegal villages”) and the detrimental life conditions of their residents who lack basic services and are underrepresented in local governmental institutions, even though they are Israeli citizens.
 
During 2019, approximately 2,241 structures were demolished in the Bedouin communities in the Naqab, out of which no less than 88% were performed by the owners of the structures themselves. The number of demolitions performed by the owners of the structures before the issuance of any demolition order increased to 146%. The decision of the owners to destroy their own dwellings is frequently based on past trauma and fear of violence perpetuated by the police at the time of the procedure, as well as the threat of high fines imposed on those whose houses are demolished by law enforcement forces. In eight years (since 2013), 10,969 structures have been demolished in Bedouin communities in the Naqab.

 

For the Full Report

The struggle against house demolitions continues!

Photo: Eve Tendler. Protest against house demolition. Junction of the village az-Zarnūg. 25.6.2020.

House demolition in International Law  

Against the background of the global protest fighting police violence and institutionalized racism, we have witnessed racist and dangerous incitement against Arab Bedouin residents of the Naqab in recent weeks. Starting with the head of the Omer Local Council – voicing his prejudice against the Bedouin community who uses Omer’s post office; an opinion article in one of Be’er Sheva’s online newspapers calling to “Annex the Naqab”, calling all Bedouin criminals; and all the way to Samsung’s racist advertisement that portrays the Bedouin as mere “setting” for the company’s commercial. It seems that the Israeli public and officials conveniently ignore the continued incitement against the Arab Bedouin citizens, while focusing on what is happening overseas, when in fact they should be looking at their own misdoings and promote social, economic, and political justice regardless of color, religious, political or ethnic affiliation. 

Mass distribution of demolition orders in the Negev despite the increase in the number of patients
 

A severe economic crisis in Bedouin communities 
 

Support NCF so we can continue our work for justice and equality

We received the next video from Muhammad, a resident of the village of az-Zarnūg and a member of the village Parents Committee. Muhammad photographed his children as they take a short walk in the stream near their home. Like the rest of us, they too maintain isolation, keeping away from other people to prevent the spread of the virus in the village. But unlike in other places, children do not have computers or internet services at home, and they will not be able to continue studying online and may experience huge gaps during the coming months. Watch Muhammad's conversation with his son Amar, share, and join the call not to leave Arab-Bedouin children behind!

Given that NCF’s staff has also been quarantined for the past month (but continues to operate in almost full capacity), we asked our staff to tell in a few words how they are dealing with the new situation.

Tal Avrech, Head of International Advocacy and Research at NCF, based in Tel- Aviv
 

“Through the bars of my Tel-Avivian apartment, I can see my garden and right behind it, the closed kindergarten. It is nice that during this period Tel-Aviv is so quiet you can hear the birds sing, but nothing compares to the sound of silence in the Naqab desert.”
 

The already existing inequalities and injustices in the Naqab have been magnified through this unprecedented crisis. Under strict limitations on our freedom of movement and in compliance with the Ministry of Health guidelines, NCF continues to work closely with and for the Arab Bedouin communities in the Naqab, through all of our existing projects and more: Documentation, local and international advocacy, and research.

On April 12, 2020, we sent a letter to Dr. Avigdor Kaplan, Director General of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Services; demanding an appropriate food distribution in the Bedouin villages.

Civil society organizations engaged in food distribution , had recently indicated that the number of requests for food supplies had increased 4-fold in the last month, since the lock-down began. Up until now, the authorities have been distributing frozen food trays, and on a very limited scale.  

We asked that the Ministry provide a solution that is suitable to the community’s needs, especially during the month of Ramadan, which includes basic food products that are relatively inexpensive, such as flour, rice, sugar, and oil - and to ensure that ALL villages, especially the unrecognized villages, receive this service. 

Decades of neglect have led to Bedouin localities lacking proper internet infrastructure or cellular reception. We contacted the Ministry of Communication and demanded they provide an urgent response to the Bedouin villages and towns in the Naqab.

Internet and cellular services are especially critical these days and allow access to essential services such as: filling out forms of unemployment, online studies, working from home and even emergency response. 

We call upon the Ministry of Communication and the Internet Companies to improve access to technological infrastructure in the Bedouin localities!

Photo: Laila Alsana, NCF staff, al-Lagiyyih