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

Update from Negev Coexistence Forum

28.06.2012

• Al Arakib destroyed, court cases against residents continue
• Exhibition of children’s photography
• NCF participates in conference in Sweden
• Foreign Minister Lieberman, right-wing activists try to visit Bedouin village

Al Arakib destroyed, court cases against residents continue

The Bedouin village of Al Arakib was destroyed on June 24 for the 36th time since July 2010. To view NCF’s online record of Bedouin home demolitions in the Negev, click here.

Additionally, at least ten court hearings were held only in the last two weeks related to the criminal charges that the Israeli state has filed against Al Arakib residents. “As if the fact that the state has destroyed the village of Al Arakib 36 times, made residents lose their property and then charged them half a million dollars for the first eight demolitions was not enough, many charges have also been brought against village residents,” said NCF Executive Director Haia Noach.

“The idea is to exhaust the people of Al Arakib economically and mentally; ten court hearings in the last two weeks demonstrate this well. The court has turned into another tool of the state to oppress the people and their struggle,” Noach said.

Exhibition of children’s photography

NCF hosted a photography exhibition in Be’er Sheva on June 20.

The photographs on display were taken by children from the Bedouin villages of Al Arakib and Al Sira during NCF photography workshops conducted late last year in cooperation with the village committees. Over 20 children and their parents attended the event, which was a celebration of the children’s achievements in the project.

The product of NCF video workshops, recently conducted with children in Al Arakib, will also soon be on display, and will be submitted to international film festivals.

NCF participates in conference in Sweden

NCF Executive Director Haia Noach and Aziz Abu Mdeighem from the village of Al Arakib participated in a political seminar in Sweden in mid-June. In their talks, they described the Bedouin’s fight for justice and equality in the Negev and the ongoing struggle taking place in Al Arakib.

Foreign Minister Lieberman, right-wing activists try to visit Bedouin village

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman — accompanied by right-wing Israelis from Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party and the group Regavim — attempted to visit the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Zarnog on June 27 to survey what Lieberman called “illegal Bedouin construction”. Bedouin activists formed a human chain and blocked the entrance to the village, preventing Lieberman from coming in.

According to Israeli media reports, Lieberman got into a verbal altercation with Bedouin Knesset (Parliament) member Taleb Al-Sanaa at the entrance to the village. Al-Sanaa argued that Lieberman came to the village in order to create a provocation, while Lieberman reportedly called Al-Sanaa a “terrorist.”

The Jerusalem Post, “In shouting match, FM calls a-Sanaa ‘terrorist’”
YNet, “FM to MK El-Sana: Terrorist, I’ll take care of you first“