Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
פורום דו-קיום בנגב לשוויון אזרחי
منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية

NCF sent an urgent communication to UN Special Rapporteurs about an armed militia 2.4.22

Dear friends and colleagues,
We are saddened to announce that Adv. Hanan Alsanah is leaving her position as Co-Director after a short but continuous period of achievements. After deliberations, Hanan decided at the end of March to end her role in order to actually realize the benefits of her degree in Law and to engage in the promotion of women’s rights. She will continue to be active at NCF joining the board of directors. Haia Noach will continue to run the organization as she has been doing until now. We wish Hanan much success along the way, we are deeply thankful for her valuable contributions and her partnership with the Board of Directors.

Land Day and the plight for recognition

Saturday 26.3 marked the 46th Land Day in the Negev where Bedouin residents in the unrecognized villages held events to celebrate their indigenous culture. Through creative and non-violent initiatives, they remembered that their plight for recognition is still here

Land day in Saʿwah, pictures by Haia Noach, 26.3.2022

Land Day in al-ʿArāgīb, 26.3.2022

From the Field

About 200 students from New York University, Harvard, Virginia, BGU and Hadassa, went in a Naqab tour organized by Adalah and NCF and were given an explanation of the situation of the Bedouin community in the Naqab and the values of recognizing the unrecognized Bedouin villages of az-Zarnūg and Tal ʿArād.

Pictures taken by NCF staff members, 17.3.2022

NCF also organized four tours for the Leo Beck School students from Haifa. About 170 students came willingly to learn and understand the question of the unrecognized villages and talk to students their age.

Local Advocacy

An important discussion took place on 23.2 in the Knesset regarding the demolition of houses in the Negev and gender related issues, in the Gender Equality Committee headed by Aida Toma Suleiman. Former CEO Hanan al-Sana and Local Advocacy Coordinator Huda Abu Obaid attended the event

Picture taken by Toma Suleiman’s staff, 23.2.2022

International Advocacy

We would like to raise your attention regarding the highly concerning issue of the inauguration of the civilian and militarized group Barel Force, a Jewish group initially created with the support of the Police and the Beer Sheva municipality, to bring self-justice to the problem of security in the Naqab.

NCF condemns all violent attacks that have been taking place on these lands in the past weeks, as well as the creation of the Barel Force and the Negev Rescue Committee, for the idea of armed militias, which usually take place in proto-fascist regimes. This mechanism emphasizes the criminalization of the Bedouin indigenous communities, threatens their right to freedom of expression, and disables them to obtain the recognition of their villages.

NCF sent urgent communications to the UN Special Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous people, the Working group on arbitrary detentions, SR on freedom of expression, SR on minority issues, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

There is no room for private militias seeking to ostensibly operate within a legal framework and actually take the law into their own hands. It is the duty of the State of Israel to eradicate all forms of racism, to act against racist movements that encourage violence, and to educate for tolerance and equality.

Support NCF’S activities and projects

For any further information, do not hesitate to contact us by replying to this email or write us at intl.advocacy@dukium.org

April 2022

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In accordance with the law, the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality is proud to note that as a result of cooperation with friendly countries and international organizations that promote human rights, most of the funding for our activities comes from “foreign entities.”

Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality פורום דו-קיום בנגב לשוויון אזרחי منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية

NCF sent an urgent communication to UN Special Rapporteurs about an armed militia 2.4.22

Demolitions

Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality
פורום דו-קיום בנגב לשוויון אזרחי
منتدى التعايش السلمي في النقب من أجل المساواة المدنية