In light of the suspicious silence, crimes against humanity are being committed in the Negev

About a year ago, on 13 December 2013, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the cancellation of the “Prawer Plan” after the plan provoked the Arab population in Israel, especially the Bedouins in the Negev. This is due to the fact that the plan aimed to seize 800 acres of land from the Bedouins. Demonstrations took place in the areas with a high Arab population and a number of MK’s stood against this plan for various reasons and motives. In addition to this, a poll conducted by an Israeli research institute indicated that 47 per cent of Israeli Jews believe that the land that will be seized from the indigenous people actually belongs to the Bedouins of the Negev. All this led to the cancellation of this plan, despite the fact that the Knesset approved this law on 24 June 2013.

This occurred about a year ago, but today, this plan is indirectly coming back to light. It has become clearer that the cancellation of the Prawer Plan was tactical and procedural and that it has been indirectly implemented in different ways. This occurred when the Israeli authorities established the “Authority for the Regulation of Bedouin Settlement in the Negev” in order to settle the Bedouin population in the Negev region, and it is evident from the name of this authority that the Israeli authorities consider the Negev Bedouins as settlers on the Israeli state’s territory, not the owners of the land.

This new authority drew a plan which it began implementing a week ago. The focus of such plans is to uproot Palestinian Bedouins from their homes and land in “unrecognised” villages while planning to build Jewish cities on the confiscated land, which, according to this authority, is in the context of responding to the needs of the Bedouin population and the changes that the Bedouin community is experiencing, as well as preserving open spaces and nature (referring to land for grazing, the field in which the majority of Bedouin citizens work). The plan also claims to expand existing towns, and, if needed, establish new towns in the form of settlements. All of this is within the framework of previous plans relating to this project (i.e. the uprooting Prawer Plan).

On the evening of 20 January, the uprising of the Arab masses in Israel was an indication that the Jewish state began uprooting the Negev residents and confiscating their land. The various cities, villages and towns along the coast and north of Palestine all chanted “you will only pass on the Palestinians’ dead bodies” and took measure to denounce the occupation’s crimes. This led to the death of Sami Al-Ja’ar and Sami Al-Zayadna in the past two days, as well as the injury of dozens during the funeral of the first martyr. The Higher Guidance Committee of Arab Residents in the Negev and the National Committee for the Heads of the Arab Local Authorities in Israel all called for a comprehensive boycott, except on schools, so that their first lesson is on the revived Israeli plan that aims to uproot the Negev Arabs and confiscate their land and property.

However, while the comprehensive and large-scale settlement process being carried out by the successive Israeli governments in the occupied West Bank, including the Palestinian capital, Jerusalem, has become an issue that concerns local, regional and international public opinion, and has become part of the settlement and agreement talks, the issue of the systematic uprooting occurring in the Negev in the context of a clear criminal plan remains restricted to local measures and actions alone. This may be due to the fact that the Israeli measures in the West Bank are being carried out in the context of a settlement process in the “occupied territories”, according to international standards and resolutions, which give this issue dimensions that go beyond the official and popular public opinion, while the Negev remains classified as Israeli territory. However, the issue of borders should not overrule the right to life, shelter and ownership, not to mention the freedom of opinion and expression. These concepts are not subject to any borders; rather, they oblige the authorities to provide all of these rights.

One of the most important tasks for the parties, forces and Arab monitoring committees in Israel, in addition to popular movements, is to find a mechanism whereby they can access international platforms and take advantage of the access to international public opinion, as well as of the fact that Israel has been exposed to the world on all levels. They must use this opportunity to act as the voice of the Negev Arabs who are suffering, like their Arab brothers all across Israel, from racist plans that aim to uproot them from their land. This will allow for the recognition of all the Arab villages in the Negev and the provision of all humanitarian services to the citizens who still suffer from a lack of recognition of their villages and areas of residence and who are being prosecuted by police officers and security forces.

It is time to put the Negev on the political map in terms of official and popular action. We must do everything necessary in order for this issue to be considered a crime against humanity openly committed by Israel in the context of racist laws that are clearly stated, taking advantage of the silence of everyone outside the occupied Palestinian territories.

This article was first published in Arabic by SamaNews.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.