Opportunity knocks for the Negev Bedouin
A binational coalition has risen up against the plan that former minister Benny Begin worked very hard to formulate in an effort to settle the issue of Bedouin lands in the Negev and the need to demolish unlawful structures.
On the one hand, this coalition is peopled by Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zoabi (National Democratic Assembly), and MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) and someone else who uploaded a film to the internet depicting demolished Bedouin structures with IDF helicopters hovering in the background, even though no soldiers took part in this demolition.
On the other hand, there are Jews involved in rejecting the plan, compiled by Ehud (Udi) Prawer, Doron Almog and others. One hub of opposition to Begin's plan can be found on Ariel Sharon's Sycamore Ranch -- Sharon's son Gilad is spearheading the objections in conjunction with extreme right-wing groups and settlers who fail to realize that Begin saved the Migron outpost while offering its residents an alternative settlement nearby. The Right's slogan is harsh. Begin is "generous to Arabs, cruel to settlers," they say. This illusion played a part in pushing Begin to the bottom of the list in the Likud primaries, leaving him out of the Knesset entirely.
I participated in a tour with the Regavim organization, which believes the government is placating the Bedouin. I saw what is happening in the Negev, and I have no reason to fear that the Begin-Prawer plan is misguided. It is the best we can do. To resolve this issue, we first have to solve the problem of ownership. Begin has allocated a reasonable amount of land to the Bedouin, paradoxically both the minimum and maximum possible, one could say. And what is the alternative?
The 80,000 people who live in unlawful structures will turn into 130,000 in less than ten years. Tensions in the Negev will increase, unnecessarily. Self-moderation on both sides is the way to go, and the government realizes that. After all, Habayit Hayehudi and others in the government supported the proposal. So why has the Right mobilized against it-
Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi) on Thursday visited Beersheba and said the bill was justified, despite his qualms, which should definitely be discussed in a serious manner.
The Bedouin feel the same way. Most of them realize that the bill is the only practical solution. They have also hinted that there is no need for the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee to get involved. On the one hand, they conduct negotiations in secret, while on Thursday they held a fiery, even wild, demonstration in Beersheba's streets against the bill. Still, they know there is no alternative. There can be adjustments and changes, but at the end of the day, this bill is the real solution.
The cabinet has already approved the bill, which was ultimately submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. If about 15 percent of the Bedouin who claim ownership of the land fall victim to wild party propaganda -- right now, just four months prior to municipal elections -- this could stymie the opportunity for a fair settlement of the issue, rendering the fight over lands in the Negev a source of endless trouble.
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