naqab

Bedouin inspect the ruins of their demolished homes in Umm al-Hiran in the Negev desert, January 18, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Israel aims new Nakba-style weapon at Arab citizens

A new law paves the way for a fresh wave of home demolitions in Palestinian towns and villages throughout Israel. Its passing is proof that the land grab begun by Israel in 1948 never ended. By Myssana Morany What Jewish Israelis call their War of Independence, Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic.…

By +972 Magazine May 15, 2017

MK Ayman Odeh holding the sponge-tipped bullet he says who shot at him by Israeli forces in Umm al-Hiran, January 18, 2017. (Joint List)

Palestinian MK injured ahead of home demolitions: ‘The police are liars’

Although all evidence points to wounds from sponge-tipped bullets, police claim Joint List head Ayman Odeh was hit by stones thrown by Bedouin protesters in Umm el-Hiran. If the police are proven wrong, it means they shot the leader of the third-largest party in Israel in the face without any justification. UPDATE: This post was updated with a…

By Mairav Zonszein January 19, 2017

Israeli security forces demolish structures in the ‘unrecognized’ Bedouin village of al-Araqib, Israel, June 29, 2016. (Azez Alaraqib)

Israel demolishes Bedouin village al-Araqib for 100th time

Al-Araqib is one of 35 ‘unrecognized’ villages in Israel that authorities refuse to provide with water, electricity or basic infrastructure. Israeli security forces demolished the Bedouin village of al-Araqib for the 100th time Wednesday morning. It was the second demolition during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, taking place while residents were fasting. The first…

By Mairav Zonszein June 29, 2016

Latest

Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel take part in March of Return to the destroyed village of Hadatha, near Tiberias, April 23, 2015. (Activestills)

Recognizing the grief of the Nakba

In appointing itself the gatekeeper of historical memory, Israel has shackled the promotion of its own narrative to the suppression of the Palestinian narrative. A few years ago I took part in a class about the Armenian genocide at Toronto University with students from around the world, including several Armenian and Turkish participants. Three of…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland May 15, 2016

The children of Umm al-Hiran who are participating in the photography workshop. (photo: Udi Goren)

Bedouin town slated for destruction is true test for Israelis

The Negev comprises two thirds of Israel’s territory, but only 10 percent of citizens lives there. It is thus no coincidence that the Jewish settlement of Hiran is being planned directly atop the ruins of the Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran. This is a test for all Israelis, and I really hope we do not fail.…

By +972 Magazine March 2, 2016

A man from the Zanoun family sits on the ruins of his house a few hours after it was demolished by the Israeli Land Administration, in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi Al Na'am, Negev Desert, May 18, 2014. The family of seven people was living in the house demolished for being illegaly built. Wadi Al-Na’am is the largest unrecognized village in Israel, with about 13,000 inhabitants, most of its inhabitants are internally displaced. The village is not connected to electricity and its inhabitants are subjected to Israel's house demolition policy. (Keren Manor/Activestills)

New Jewish settlements planned ‘on top of’ Bedouin villages

The Israeli government approves a plan for five new settlements in the Negev/Naqab. Rights group says the plan, like Israel’s overall policy regarding its Bedouin citizens, is discriminatory. The Israeli government on Sunday approved a plan for five new Jewish settlements to be built in the Negev (Naqab) in the south of Israel. The plan,…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland November 23, 2015

Sanda Abulkian sits outside her demolished house in the unrecognized village of Atir on July 12, 2013. The Abulkian house has demolished four times already, three of them during 2013. (Photo: Keren Manor/Activestills.org)

A living legacy of displacement

The impulses that drove the dispossession of the 1948 war are still acted on today, on both sides of the borders it forged. “Did you know I’m afraid of sleeping? … I’m scared of sleeping and waking to find myself in a strange land whose language I can’t speak. I’m scared I won’t wake up.” —Elias…

By Natasha Roth-Rowland June 19, 2015

Ali Abu Al-Qi’an speaking to a group visiting Atir on May, 23 2015. (Photo by Lina Othman)

Bedouin village of Atir to be replaced with forest of ‘Yatir’

Atir is hardly the first case in which forestation has been used by the Israeli government and the JNF as a method of displacement and land grabbing against Palestinians — on both sides of the Green Line. “Apparently in Israeli democracy, the state is permitted to uproot Arabs from their homes and plant trees in…

By Amjad Iraqi June 16, 2015

A resident of al-Araqib approaches Israeli police during one of the dozens of times authorities demolished the unrecognized village. (Activestills.org)

Israel Supreme Court: Bedouin have no indigenous rights

A recent Supreme Court ruling refusing to recognize Bedouin land rights sets a legal precedent for the state to endlessly appropriate Palestinian lands. Israel’s Supreme Court made a significant ruling this week, setting a precedent for the state to approve the expropriation of Palestinian land in future cases, specifically inside Israel. The court rejected a five-year old petition…

By Mairav Zonszein May 29, 2015

Joint List chair Ayman Odeh leads a recognition march throughout the unrecognized villages of the Negev, March 26, 2015. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

PHOTOS: Joint List marches for unrecognized Bedouin villages

Arab leaders begin four-day march across Negev to pressure Israeli government to recognize dozens of villages that lack electricity and running water. Photos: Oren Ziv, text: Yael Maron Dozens of members of the Joint List — including chairman Ayman Odeh, Dov Khenin and other future members of Knesset — marched alongside other Arab leaders Thursday…

By Activestills March 26, 2015

A man from the Zanoun family sits next to the ruins of his house a few hours after it was demolished in the unrecognized bedouin village of Wadi Al Na'am, Negev Desert, May 18, 2014. A women with her 5 children, the oldest of them is 5 years old, were living in the house demolished by the Israeli Land Administration. Wadi Al-am is the largest unrecognized village in Israel, with estimated 13,000 residents, most of them are internally displaced. The village is not connected to electricity. (Activestills.org)

How many cars does it take for a Bedouin village to vote?

While the majority of Jewish Israelis will have no problem voting on election day, some Bedouin will be forced to travel up to 40 kilometers simply to participate in Israel’s democracy. By Khalil Alamour and Amjad Iraqi In the run-up to every election day in Israel, polling stations are set up in various locations in…

By Amjad Iraqi March 13, 2015

A sign at the entrance of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Alsira warns of home demolitions. Villagers had the sign made. June 19, 2014. (Photo by Michael Omer-Man)

WATCH: Living in the shadow of the Prawer Plan

Following a series of high-profile protests that seemingly ended one iteration of the Prawer Plan, nobody — especially those who would be most affected — knows where the plan to displace tens of thousands of Bedouin Israelis stands today. Social TV visits two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, Al-Araqib and Alsira, to see how…

By Social TV June 26, 2014

Sheikh Sayah Aturi returns to his village of Al Araqib, Israel, after winning a court appeal granting him access to his land. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

PHOTOS: Al Araqib celebrates return of jailed sheikh

Sheikh Sayah Aturi returned to his home village of Al Araqib today (Tuesday) for the first time since his arrest on November 20. On that day, Al Araqib was demolished for the 62nd time while most of its residents were busy protesting in Jerusalem outside of the Knesset during committee debates on the Prawer Plan. This…

By Activestills December 11, 2013