unrecognized villages

Ibrahim al-Quran, an educator from the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al-Bat in the Naqab. Two of his children were killed on October 7. (Photo: Oren Ziv)

Reeling from October 7, Bedouin citizens struggle to make their losses known

Despite the toll of Hamas' attack, many in the Naqab feel they can only rely on community support in a context where Bedouin life is not valued.

By Kaid Abu Latif December 6, 2023

The belongings and remains of homes of Palestinian families in 'Ein Samia, occupied West Bank, May 25, 2023. (Oren Ziv)

Under settler terror, Palestinians tear down and flee their village

Twenty-seven Palestinian families made the devastating decision to leave their homes in 'Ein Samia, hounded out by Israeli settlers and army pressure.

By Basel Adra May 25, 2023

Palestinians inspect the rubble of the elementary school in Jib al-Dib, an unrecognized village in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli authorities demolished it on May 7, 2023. (Flash90)

Palestinian school razed after campaign by gov’t-linked settler group

The residents of Jib al-Dib lost their years-long fight to save their elementary school, leaving dozens of children without proper access to education.

By Yuval Abraham May 8, 2023

Latest

Bedouin families outside their homes in the village of Umm al Hiran, in the Negev desert, southern Israel, August 27, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

‘Total poverty’: Bedouins in Israel struggle to get by under pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has worsened years of government neglect of Bedouins in the Naqab, forcing a once self-sufficient society into deeper destitution.

By Suha Arraf July 21, 2020

A child rides a bicycle next to a mosque in the Bedouin village of Bir-Hadaj, Negev desert, April 27, 2014. (Activestills.org)

‘Arab students will pay the price’: Pandemic widens Israel’s education gaps

Lacking basic services due to state discrimination, Bedouin students in the Naqab/Negev must be equipped for online schooling, rights groups demand.

By Oren Ziv April 7, 2020

Bedouin women collect their belongings from the ruins of their demolished homes in the unrecognized village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev desert, in the in the Southern Israel, January 18, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

If pandemic hits, unrecognized Bedouin villages could ‘become like northern Italy’

Denied basic services, the Naqab's unrecognized villages are not equipped to deal with the coronavirus — and the Israeli government is not stepping in.

By Oren Ziv March 29, 2020

Israeli police detain a Bedouin woman during a march in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al-Araqib, Negev Desert, July 24, 2016. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Israel steps up campaign against Bedouin village it demolished 173 times

Israeli forces have demolished the village of Al-Araqib 173 times. Now, in an effort to push the residents off their land, Israel is stepping up its harassment through arrests, raids, and fines.

By Oren Ziv January 28, 2020

Illustrative photo of an Israeli bus driving along an unpaved road in the Negev/Naqab desert. (Zoe Vayer/Flash90)

Left-wingers are busing Arabs to the polls in droves — for real this time

Playing on Netanyahu’s warning about Arab citizens of Israel voting in the last elections, a grassroots campaign raises tens of thousands of shekels to bring Bedouin from unrecognized villages to the polls — not quite in droves, but mini-bus by mini-bus. On Election Day in 2015, Benjamin Netanyahu sent a video to his supporters warning…

By Oren Ziv April 7, 2019

Israeli soldiers inspect Palestinian cars at the Beit Furik checkpoint, near Nablus, West Bank, May 27, 2015. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Lost in Occupation: How Google Maps is erasing Palestine

A new report details the ways Google Maps’ mapping process in the occupied territories serves the interests of the Israeli government, while contradicting the company’s stated commitment to human rights. When Tariq Asedih plans a trip from his village near Nablus to Ramallah, Google Maps “can’t find a way” for the 36-kilometer journey. Instead, he has to…

By Henriette Chacar October 4, 2018

Residents of the Bedouin village Khan al-Ahmar look on as a bulldozer paves an access road to be used by Israeli forces in the imminent demolition of the West Bank hamlet, July 4, 2018. (Oren Ziv)

Police arrest 10 as Israel prepares to demolish entire village

Dozens of Palestinian, international, and Israeli activists try to stop bulldozers from paving an access road that will make easier the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank. Israeli security forces arrested 10 Palestinians Wednesday as they began preparing for the demolition of an unrecognized Bedouin village in the West Bank. IDF and police forces, along…

By Oren Ziv July 4, 2018

Residents collect their belongings from the ruins of their demolished homes in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran, January 18, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Israel to demolish a Bedouin village next month, build a Jewish town in its place

Israel is planning to demolish Umm al-Hiran and expel its 1,000 residents at the end of April. After that, it will build a Jewish town on its ruins. By +972 Magazine Staff Israeli authorities handed out demolition orders to the entire Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday, as part of a plan to demolish and expel…

By +972 Magazine March 22, 2018

A Bedouin woman after authorities demolished her village of Al Araqib, January 16, 2011 (Keren Manor/Activestills.org)

This Bedouin village has been demolished by Israel 120 times

For the past seven years, Israeli authorities have repeatedly demolished Al-Araqib in order to expel its residents and build a forest in its place. By +972 Magazine Staff The Bedouin village of Al-Araqib was demolished by Israeli authorities for the 120th time last week. Al-Araqib is one of 35 unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev…

By +972 Magazine October 29, 2017

Salim Aldanfiri had his citizenship revoked decades ago. 'I don't understand why the state treats us as enemies.' (Maya Avis)

Is Israel turning its Bedouin citizens into a stateless people?

Israel has been systematically revoking citizenship from its Bedouin citizens without as much as telling them. Is this a harbinger of things to come? In Israel’s relentless war against its Arab citizens, there are few things that one can still reasonably claim to be surprised by. Jack Khoury’s article in Haaretz a few weeks ago, however,…

By Orly Noy September 15, 2017