This week, Mossawa Center Director Jafar Farah visited various regions in the Naqab (Negev) to gather firsthand evidence on the intensifying practices of the Naqab Arab Settlement Authority and Israeli police forces against the Arab Bedouin communities.

Information collected from local institutions and movements unequivocally confirmed that, since the outbreak of the recent war, the unrecognized villages in the Naqab have been subjected to the most aggressive campaign of displacement and forced relocation seen in years. These actions target the indigenous Bedouin population, to eradicate their presence from their ancestral lands.

Notably, Sheikh Sayyah al-Turi and Aziz al-Turi, prominent leaders from the repeatedly demolished village of al-Araqib, highlighted the systematic efforts to displace residents from several unrecognized villages, aiming to seize control of their lands. Despite the village of al-Araqib having been demolished over 200 times, Sheikh al-Turi remains steadfast in his refusal to leave his land, asserting his right to live in his land despite the ongoing demolitions.

During his visit, Jafar Farah met with key figures including MK Yousef al-Atawneh, Deputy Mayor of Rahat Dr. Amer al-Hazeel, Director of the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages Dr. Ya'aleh Ra'anan, Attorney Shahdeh Ben-Bri, and Professor Oren Yiftachel, a renowned researcher and activist. These discussions highlighted the devastating consequences of the government’s actions on the Arab communities within Israel especially in the Naqab, which are already facing severe socio-economic disadvantages. According to recent statistics, over 90,000 Arab Bedouins who live in unrecognized villages in the Naqab, are deprived of basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, and healthcare due to their non-recognition by the Israeli state​​.

Jafar Farah also addressed participants at the "Partnership for Peace" conference, held in Rahat, where Arab and Jewish activists gathered to discuss the urgent need for solidarity in the face of escalating violence and displacement. The conference concluded with a demonstration at the central roundabout in Rahat, where participants vocally opposed the ongoing war and the forced eviction of Bedouin communities.

The Mossawa Center has raised alarms over the imminent threat to the village of Umm al-Hiran, which is expected to be evacuated in the coming weeks as part of this systematic displacement campaign. In response, the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages is organizing a series of protests, including a major demonstration in Tel Aviv, to call for an end to the demolition and displacement policies. 

The Mossawa Center reiterates its commitment to confronting these grave injustices, advocating for the rights of the Bedouin population to remain on their lands, and urges international attention to the escalating human rights violations to ensure the protection and recognition of these vulnerable communities in the Naqab.