A College for the Bedouin

Rahat (photo from Wikimedia)

Haaretz published a very interesting opinion piece this week asking if a plan by Israeli President Shimon Peres to open a university for the Bedouin near the city of Rahat is really "what the Bedouin need right now."

The university will be built as a part of the Age of the Negev project, an "employment park" to be built near the impoverished Bedouin city of Rahat for the benefit of the Bedouin community. While the project will be built outside of the city, according to the piece, Rahat has been given a 46 percent stake in the joint venture that will manage the project, meaning that a good deal of the park's revenue will flow to municipal coffers.

The question is, does the building of this park, and the university within it, really solve any problem? Surely, in the western sense, it does. It will provide jobs for Bedouin workers, especially for women, who, according to the writer, are sorely in need of employment. Age of the Negev will direct financial benefit to Rahat, one of Israel's most impoverished communities.

But, the writer argues, the project deflects from the elephant in the room. The Prawer Plan, if passed by the Knesset, will force the dislocation of a great many Bedouin. The effect of the plan will be to try and "civilize" the Bedouin, moving them into communities like Rahat and Segev Shalom while expropriating the Bedouin's land for "state purposes." This comports with Israel's longstanding state interest in the "Jewishization" of the Negev, a policy reaching back to the days of David Ben-Gurion.

To Shimon Peres, the Age of the Negev is a shining example of Israel's plurality, its willingness to reach out to minority communities and do tikkun olam, the Jewish virtue of "repairing the world." But to the Bedouin community, it is just another example of a colonial power trying to displace its traditional way of life.

While projects like Age of the Negev are backed by good intentions, we have the results of the westernization of the Bedouin. Cities like Rahat are beset with poverty. Since most Bedouin don't serve in the army, many employers will not hire them, meaning that, unable to farm their land and tend to their animals, some Bedouin have turned to lives of crime. Ironically, this has had the effect of turning Israel's policy of civilizing the Bedouin into a massive security threat for the state, as some Bedouin turn to lives of smuggling on the Egyptian border. Unemployment and poverty are among the ingredients of radicalization, and one cannot help but think that Israel's policy towards the Bedouin might someday result in disastrous consequences for the state.

So while the government and organizations like the JNF introduce initiatives to "improve" the lives of the Bedouin, as the opinion piece argues, efforts like this are merely a smokescreen to deflect the true injustice being inflicted upon the Bedouin people. The cultural misunderstanding here is significant, and is a true impediment to successful coexistence between Jewish and Bedouin Israelis in the Negev.

-J.M.K.

Prawer Plan

Adalah and ACRI submitted a brief against the Prawer Plan this month. The controversial plan was formulated as a practical implementation of the Government's policy regarding the Bedouin, but opposition groups say the plan—moving beyond recommendations of previous committees to a positive effort at breaking up long-standing communities—will wreak havoc on the Bedouin of the Negev. A joint press releases states:

[T]he government is ignoring the facts and reality on the ground, failing to seriously examine alternatives, and proceeding with the clear intention of ousting the residents.  Such an implementation of the Prawer Plan would also constitute a gross violation of the residents’ rights under Israeli law to appeal against eviction and demolition orders as afforded to them by their constitutional rights to property, dignity and equality.

The organizations further contend that the Prawer Plan is simply a tool for furthering Jewification of the desert:

[T]he central tenant of the proposed law is the “concentration” of Bedouin in limited predefined areas which will force them to abandon their traditional agricultural livelihood, while industrial areas, a military base, and new Jewish settlements are expected to be established on the lands of the unrecognized Bedouin villages.  

Read the full press release here: http://www.acri.org.il/en/2012/04/01/prawer-plan-reservations-submitted/

Learn more about the Prawer Plan from Adalah here: https://www.adalah.org/prawerplan

Afforestation and BDS

One element of our recent trip to the Negev was learning about problems that hadn't come up on our radar while writing the preliminary report.  The topic raised most often was afforestation and it's use in displacing Bedouin villages, as well as it's use of water resources in the desert (eucalyptus forests—once used in Palestine to dry swamps and displace natives—use up a lot of water).

While we're putting together our final report, as well as coordinating video posts and photo albums, read a quick blog on the JNF from late February posted here.

The site, BDSmovement.net is a one-stop for everything BDS related. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement was also a topic that was brought up frequently. I'm in the process of tracking down a list of the companies and products targeted, but in the meantime read up here.

Now that International Water Day is over, get ready for the BDS Global Day of Action on March 30, 2012.

Here are a few photos: the first is a small forestation project underway through the work of the JNF, and the second is of the two most adorable Bedouin protestors, who gather every Friday across from fresh trees, not far from their demolished homes.

—DJH

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day and the Bedouin are getting a lot of press. Here is a video posted by Adalah, our host in Israel, and a few links below:



Here is Adalah's website with a few links to water rights reports and press releases.

And here is a post by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.

UN-OCHAOPT Report on the Takeover of Palestinian Water Springs by Israeli Settlers

[ An IDF soldier naps in Ein Al-Qaws Spring in Nabi Saleh.  Photo by Alison A. Ramer ]

This month, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian Territory (UN-OCHAOPT) published a report on the widespread problem of water-spring takeovers by settlers in the West Bank.  The report ties this widespread and troubling practice to attempts to control vital water resources in the West Bank, and the development of a "settlement tourism" infrastructure.

The report calls on the Israeli authorities to:

1. stop facilitating the transfer of Israeli civilians into the oPt, including by allowing the expansion of settlements;
2. Restore Palestinian access to the water springs taken over by settlers, and ensure their safety; 
3. Conduct effective investigations into cases of settler violence and trespass and prosecute those responsible; and
4. Adopt measures to prevent ongoing settler “tours” to springs located on private Palestinian property. 

The full report is here:  http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_springs_report_march_2012_english.pdf

There is specific coverage of An-Nabi Saleh on pages 15 - 18.

Bethlehem and Bedouins

A lighter touch:



Bethlehem and Bedouins from Right2Water on Vimeo.

Nabi Saleh Protest

As our trip has ebbed onward, it's almost hard to believe just four days ago a few of us were in Nabi Saleh outside Ramallah observing (and, sometimes to our detriment, becoming part of) the weekly water protest hosted by the village. You can learn and see more at http://www.youtube.com/user/tamimipress

For now, we're uploading a quick teaser of a longer video that will include interviews with the family. There's so much work to do here, and we've rarely had a moment to sit down. Please enjoy the video and pass on the Tamimi's website.

Nabi Saleh 3/9/2012 from Right2Water on Vimeo.

DJH

Breakfast at Hashem Zane

March 13, 2012

Hashem Zane

We spent last night in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Hashem Zane, about 15 kilometers east of Be'ersheva in the middle of the Siyaj, the triangular region between the towns of Be'ersheva, Arad, and Dimona that marks the area in which Israel permits the Bedouin to live in the Negev. But although Hashem Zane falls within this area, the government refuses to recognize its existence. This has many effects, which will be further explored in our research paper.

But on a personal level, staying at Hashem Zane last night was a very, very interesting experience. For one thing, there was the fact that we stayed in a traditional Bedouin experience, meaning that we slept on floor mats in a house with minimal insulation in the middle of the desert. In other words, it was cold. But this was fine, as the blankets we used were unbelievably warm. More importantly, the hospitality of the Bedouin at Hashem Zane, as everywhere we have visited so far, was incredible. Attiyah, the leader of the settlement, has been so gracious in making sure that we have comfortable places to sleep and delicious food to eat. It is hard to understand how these people are so strong and gracious in the midst of massive inequality, but their passion (and their coffee!) has fueled us in our efforts.

Al-Araqib land recognition protest

Upon arrival in Be'er Saba, we went with a representative from Adalah to a protest beside the highway near Rahat.  Rahat is a government-planned Bedouin town, but the protest is about an unrecognized village nearby called Al-Araqib.

There have been over 30 home demolitions there in the last 6 months.  Every time, they rebuild, and the homes are torn down again.  Adding insult to injury, the villagers are billed for the cost of these demolitions, usually around 50,000 to 60,000 shekels for the equipment, employees, police, police animals, and even the portable toilets for the demolition employees.

As a means of peaceful demonstration against these demolitions, the villagers have arranged with local police to protest beside the highway each week.  We went to one protest, and talked with the villagers about the challenges they face.

- F.B.J.

Water Waste in Tel Aviv

Next to where we stayed in downtown Tel Aviv was a giant water fountain.  It was leaking gallons upon gallons of fresh water onto the street.

- F.B.J.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Rockets in Be'ersheva

We arrived in Be'ersheva yesterday and almost immediately heard sirens. Tensions between Israel and Gaza have spiked of late, and being within the range of Grad rockets, Be'ersheva has found itself under attack. As jarring as it may be to hear rockets exploding overhead, life here continues after such events, and though we ran to the bomb shelter several times, all was, as the Israelis say, kol beseder. Of course, one can't help but think of the folks in Gaza who have no sophisticated defense mechanism like the American-made Iron Dome, which protects the Israeli home front from incoming rocket fire, or no Red Alert system, which gives residents of Be'ersheva seventy seconds to scurry to safety. Over fifteen have died in Gaza since the escalation began, and though none have died in Israel, many residents are in danger's way. It is our sincere hope that the two sides can come to some kind of reconciliation soon so that the people of this region may find some peace, even if it is merely a temporary one.

We now head east to conduct research in Bedouin villages, outside of rocket range.

Shalom/salaam,
J.M.K.

"We want our children to have normal lives."

In November 2011, a Palestinian woman named Manal Tamimi visited us in New York City to give a presentation about the non-violent Intifada that members of her village, Nabi Saleh in West Bank, have been organizing for the past two years.

Five months later, we were able to visit her at her home in Nabi Saleh where she lives with her husband Bilal and her four children. The entire population of the village consists of members of the same extended family, the Tamimis, who have been organizing peaceful protests to obtain their right to water.

The two hours we spent at her home were very emotional for our team members. Bilal and Manal told us about the death of their cousin, Mustafa Tamimi, who during a Friday protest in December 2011 was shot with a tear gas canister in the head from short range and died one day later in the hospital. We learned that since the month of Ramadan, the Israeli army stopped blocking the entrance to the village on Fridays, the day of the protest. However, the response by the Israeli Defense Forces to the weekly protests continues to be excessive, as evidenced in the photos taken by our team members last Friday.

During our interview we asked the Tamimis what they want from life. Their response was simple: “We want our children to have normal lives.” The children of Nabi Saleh live under constant fear of their homes being demolished, their parents and family members being arrested or even killed, as in the case of Mustafa Tamimi and many others. When we asked them how we could help, they told us that the best way to support the people of Nabi Saleh would be by telling their stories to others we know when we get back to the US. By posting our daily experiences on this blog, we hope to do exactly what the Tamimi family asked us to do: share the stories of the brave Palestinians that we will encounter throughout our fact-finding mission.

-S.C.

Nabi Saleh

Two of us went to Nabi Saleh for the Friday protest -- the protest is about an ancient water spring near the village that has been claimed by nearby settlers.  Every Friday, the villagers of Nabi Saleh and others from nearby towns come to demonstrate, and try to march to the spring.  They are met by armored jeeps and soldiers carrying tear gas.

Press and medical personnel show up every week, as do many international supporters.

- F.B.J.

The mission thus fas has been an eye opening experience.  From the Holy Cities of Al Quds to Bethlehem, the disparate economic conditions and vast discrimination is highly disturbing. - S.B.H.

Arrival in Israel

We have finally arrived in Israel! After a long flight we landed in the Tel Aviv area, where we were greeted by a wonderfully hospitable Palestinian-Israeli law professor who is hosting us for part of our time here. His wife cooked us an absolutely delicious dinner, which you can see below.

We went for a walk around the ancient city of Jaffa, where we learned of the significantly changed demographics of the community here.  Jaffa has traditionally been a mixed city, home to large communities of both Arabs and Jews, but now has mainly Jews living there.  We learned that in 1948, any Arab who fled Jaffa, as in other any other community in Israel, during the Israeli War of Independence, was made subject to the Absentee Property Law, which had the effect of expropriating their property to the state.  Even those who resided in their homes, but were absent during the census were subject to this law.  The state then could then sell the property on its own terms.

This is a house that was taken by the State of Israel under the Absentee Property Law; it is now being resold for an exorbitant sum due to the high property values in Jaffa, as high as in Manhattan.

Today, Jaffa is further losing its Arab community as a result of rising property values of once "absentee" Palestinian properties, having the effect of displacing Arabs who have lived here for generations with Jews escaping nearby Tel Aviv for lower house prices. While there is no facial discrimination against Arabs in acquiring or holding onto housing in Jaffa, we learned of many examples in which certain policies or developments have a disparate impact resulting in the exclusion of Arabs from the community. For example, we learned about a newly constructed gated community that advertised its complex to potential buyers as being Arab-free.

Today we head to Jerusalem to explore the ancient city and take in its complicated geopolitical landscape.

Robert Wright & Fadi Quran Interview on Water Access Issues

In this video, Robert Wright (journalist, author) talks to Fadi Quran (see: Stanford Daily - Fadi Quran arrested, detained in West Bank) about water access issues and inequalities in the West Bank.

Water Tribunal Refuses to Connect Unrecognized Arab Bedouin Villages to Water Network, Despite Israeli Supreme Court Ruling

A recent press release from Adalah:

ADALAH PRESS RELEASE
9 February 2012

Water Tribunal Refuses to Connect Unrecognized Arab Bedouin Villages to Water Network, Despite Israeli Supreme Court Ruling

Tribunal Calls Water Source 9km Away "Reasonable"

Arab Bedouin boy drinking from a rusty water tanker
in the unrecognized villages in the Naqab

(Beer el-Sabe, Israel) On 29 January 2012, the Haifa District Court, sitting as a Water Tribunal, rejected Adalah's appeal to connect the unrecognized Arab Bedouin villages of Umm el-Hieran and Tel Arad in the Naqab (Negev) to the water network. Tel Arad lies 4 kilometers from the closest water point, and Umm el-Hieran 9 kilometers away. Families in these villages sometimes resort to purchasing water at exorbitant rates from individuals who have access to the water network. The Water Tribunal stated that it considered these arrangements "reasonable", and that they met the standard of "minimum access to water" recently established by the Israeli Supreme Court. The appeal was filed by Adalah Attorney Sawsan Zaher.

Adalah appealed to the Water Tribunal in Haifa on behalf of residents of the villages against a prior decision by the Water Committee denying the residents' request for their homes to be connected to the water network. The Water Tribunal rejected the appeal despite a Supreme Court decision delivered on 5 June 2011 holding that the right to water was a constitutional right, and that the state must therefore guarantee a "minimum access to water" for the residents of the unrecognized villages (see C.A. (Civil Appeal) 9535/06, Abdullah Abu Musa'ed, et al. v. The Water Commissioner and the Israel Land Administration). In its precedent-setting judgment, the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to water stemming from the constitutional right to dignity. The Court added that Arab Bedouin residents of unrecognized villages were entitled to "minimal access to water" regardless of the status of their village. The Court then asked the petitioners to return to the Water Tribunal to make the necessary arrangements.

Appellant Mr. Salim Abu al-Qi'an, an Arab Bedouin citizen of Israel living in Umm el-Hieran, has represented his family and an additional 34 families from the village for the past several years in this litigation with Adalah. About 500 people live in the village. They have lived in their current location since 1956, when the residents were moved at the order of the military government from their ancestral land in the Western Naqab. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling three months ago, the village remains unconnected to water.

A second appellant, Mr. Eid al-Nabari, an Arab Bedouin citizen of Israel living in Tel Arad and head of the village committee, represents his family and an additional 40 families in the appeal, a total of 250 people. The village has approximately 1,500 residents, including 550 children. They have lived in their current location since the military government forced them to move there from their original villages in 1952.

In refusing to connect the villages to the water network, the Water Tribunal stated that two other solutions existed to ensure access to water for the residents: they can move from the unrecognized villages to recognized towns or else purchase water tanks and fill them from water connection centers in recognized towns. The appellants reject these solutions.

Case Citation: Appeal 51011-09/11, Salim Abu al-Qi'an, et al. v. Water Committee, et al.

The Problem is Not Scarcity

The common sense assumption that desert regions mean insurmountable water scarcity is no longer true, thanks to developments in water desalination and treatment technology.  As this news article points out, the Israeli water company Mekorot predicts a water surplus "within eight years."

YNet Environment - Israel to water surplus within the decade

Desalination poses its own issues, including massive energy requirements and, depending on the desalination method, negative environmental impacts on the seawater source.  However, there is no longer the argument that water is so scarce that the Bedouins cannot receive their rightful share.

- F.B.J.

The Name Controversy: Naqab vs. Negev

Due to the dispute over the land ownership, there are two commonly referred to names for the desert villages, each representing the ownership claim.

Negev:

The State of Israel refers to it as Negev as they claim that the Bedouins did not register their land under the Ottoman Empire or British mandate prior to 1948.

Naqab:

The Bedouins refer to their land as Naqab and argue that under the traditional land claims they rightfully own the land upon which they reside or from which they have been removed.

For more reading see Harvard Kennedy School report by S. Murthy, M. Williams & E. Baskin:  The Human Right to Water in Israel: A Case Study of the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev. Working Paper. January 10, 2011.  

Peace,

-S.B.H.