Skip to main content

Relocation Plan Threatens Israel's Bedouin Community

Israel has announced a relocation plan for its Bedouin community which may displace thousands, writes Jillian Kestler-D'Amours.
A Bedouin encampment of the Jahalin tribe is seen in front of the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, near Jerusalem December 3, 2012. Israel will not backtrack on a settlement expansion plan that has drawn strong international condemnation, an official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3B60W

JERUSALEM — As Israel approved minor changes Sunday to a plan that is expected to forcibly displace tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens, local residents and human rights groups worry that vague language, a lack of transparency and inequalities in planning procedures will soon lead to serious violations of Bedouin rights.

“The Begin Plan seeks to restrict the Bedouin to a specific area and to implement this policy forcefully,” said Rawia Abu Rabia, an attorney with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.