Israel’s Negev Bedouin Challenge and the Exploitation of Human Rights
By Emily Ziedman
The relationship between the state of Israel and the Bedouin population in the Negev is extremely complex, and is the subject of intense debate in Israeli society and the Knesset. This debate and the different opinions are healthy and reflect Israel’s robust democracy.
However, outside of Israel, information about this issue is often delivered through a distorted, simplistic, and counterproductive narrative—Letty Cottin Pogrebin’s account in her article “Israel’s Other Land Grab” (September/October Issue, 2013) is one such example—promoted by a narrow group of political advocacy NGOs (non-governmental organizations). In media campaigns targeting American Jews, and presentations to European diplomats and parliaments, these NGOs cynically exploit the Bedouin question and demonize Israel with false allegations of “racism,” “dispossession,” “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing.”
The Negev encompasses over half of Israel’s total territory, and includes the city of...