The dislocation of the Negev Bedouin is not a new phenomenon. In 1990, land was confiscated from the al-Azazmeh tribe for military use and the base became an agricultural kibbutz shortly after. Relocated to Ramat Hovav, the al-Azazmeh resided in an industrial zone that contained toxic and chemical waste. In 2007, concerns were realised when a pesticide container exploded at the Makhteshim-Agan factory, causing a phosphoric acid cloud over an area that has a mortality rate that is 65% higher than any other residential area in Israel. While the new towns will not be in industrial zones, there remains the question of inclusivity in practice. According to a report by the Adalah Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality in May 2013, the three-month “listening process” around implementation began after the plan itself had been approved, which suggested that “listening” to the Bedouins needs was merely a cosmetic approach designed more for public relations than anything else. Begin’s post-facto “listening process” and “revisions” simply provided a façade of a participatory consultation process In fact, the planned destruction of villages and homes takes away any choice and contradicts the Plan’s advocacy of “equal citizenship” for all affected by Prawer-Begin. Some families may be happy to move to new or expanded towns with, but others certainly prefer the status quo.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:47:16 +0000
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