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Opinion | The Bedouin: Recognize the problem, do not catch a ride on it Israel today

2022-01-16T21:29:53.821Z


My children and I are exposed to violence, from Bedouin or Jews, who should be severely punished. Remember "Moroccan knife"? Since the 1950s, immigration from Arab countries has had a difficult image. The vast majority of prisoners in Israel were Orientals, and until the Black Panthers did not put in front of society the link between abject poverty and low life chances and crime - the establishment ignored. And remember the demonstrations of Ethiopians? Stones on police, road closures for hour


Remember "Moroccan knife"?

Since the 1950s, immigration from Arab countries has had a difficult image.

The vast majority of prisoners in Israel were Orientals, and until the Black Panthers did not put in front of society the link between abject poverty and low life chances and crime - the establishment ignored.

And remember the demonstrations of Ethiopians?

Stones on police, road closures for hours and burning cars.

The public condemned the violence, but realized that a situation where Ethiopian boys quadruple in prison relative to their size in the population, is unbearable.

But we do not count the Bedouin.

We have no problem with more than one hundred thousand Israelis who are cut off from electricity, water and education and health infrastructure, but as soon as there is violence - we are called out.

We are completely connected to the housing crisis of young people in central Tel Aviv, but when the Bedouin society that was expelled from 1948 from place to place (and still participated in building the country and the IDF, with zero recognition), seeks planning, housing and equal rights to land - we refer to these Israelis as "invaders". "And" take over. "

This attitude is the result of the lack of familiarity of the majority of the public with the Negev.

We, who live in the Negev, make up about a tenth of all Israelis, and live on more than half of the country's territory.

The Bedouin are more than a third of the residents of the Negev.

These are our partners and not our enemies.

The best girls and boys in Bedouin society, groundbreaking academics, women and men leaders in civil society and successful businessmen, are among the best in the Negev and from Israelis in general.

This attitude is also the result of an unprecedented political campaign.

It started with the organization of residents of illegal outposts in Samaria who decided to discredit the Negev.

For years they have been portraying us as living in an area of ​​bleeding camels, sponsorship fees and Bedouin occupation.

They push the Israelis, who did not happen to be born Jews, into the role of the "enemy."

And when you are an enemy, you are pushed to the social fringes.

To them were added right-wing politicians, devoid of familiarity and a real affinity for the Negev.

We saw them last week.

Fuel is being poured on the tension and combustion that exists in Israeli villages that are being trampled on by the establishment.

Zero warranty.

Crazy run to win the Hate Oscar.

A rerun of what we saw in south Tel Aviv years ago, when politicians trampled the communities in the neighborhoods in favor of headlines.

The calls for condemnation are unnecessary.

My children and I are exposed to violence - from Bedouin or Jews - that should be severely punished.

But the innocence of those who for decades ignore the distress we have created and the repression of Bedouin society to be the poorest in Israel, is amazing and dangerous.

Seven years ago, we established the Negev Council, of which I am one of the founders.

Heads of authorities from the Negev, Jews and Bedouin, right and left, have joined together to promote the Negev that we love so much.

This is the leadership that should lead this crisis and the solutions to society, Jewish and Bedouin, living in the Negev.

Were we wrong?

Fixed!

If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-01-16

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