Wednesday, 12th August 2020
Within the state of Israel, communities in the Naqab (Negev) desert and the Galilee that are not officially recognized by Israel are termed unrecognized villages and as a result, they do not benefit from state support for basic services and infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity, schools and health clinics. Of the approximate 200,000 Bedouins in Israel, more than half live in unrecognized villages and many pre-date the establishment of the state of Israel. Unrecognized villages are especially vulnerable to demolition by the Israeli military which annually can total between 900 – 1000 homes and structures. An acute example of this is al-Araqib that has been demolished in whole or in part over 170 times since July 2010. Another stark case is Umm al-Hiran, which Israeli authorities seek to raze so that the Jewish town of Hiran can be constructed on its ruins.
In this webinar receive the latest information about demolitions and displacement in the Naqab and the impact that this cruel policy has on women and children.
Speakers were:
Khalil Alamour from Al-Sira one of the unrecognised villages in the Naqab. He taught mathematics at Alfarouq Comprehensive High School in the village of Kseyfa. He is an active member of the Al-Sira Community Council and a member of the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev (RCUV) and since 2009 has been a secretariat member of Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality. Khalil Alamour has represented the Bedouins in the Naqab at the UN and the EU and briefs international delegations to the Naqab, including UN Special Rapporteurs. He has served as Field Researcher for Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. In the last few years, he has gained a law degree and is now the Co-Director of Alhuquq Legal Center which advocates for the rights of Palestinians within Israel, promoting their interests and empowering groups and individuals.
Nabila Espanioly was born in Nazareth and is a campaigner for the civil rights of the Palestinian minority in Israel; for peace between Israel and Palestine; and for equal rights for women. In 1989, she founded the Pedagogical Center and Multipurpose Women's Center (Al-Tufula) in Nazareth and has served as its director since then. She is also a founding member of the Mossawa Center, a joint Palestinian-Israeli organization based in Haifa, and she works collaboratively with several other organisations. Nabila has written and edited several books and articles on early childhood care and development, as well as general social and political issues related to women. She lectures on topics including early childhood education, Palestinian women in Israel, violence against women, sex education, women in the media, and women's political participation.View these short videos for further details of Nabila's campaigning work.
Videos from the 1325 Coalition study:
With closing comments from:
Jeff Halper is the Co-Founder and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Jeff is an anthropologist, an academic who taught at Haifa and Ben Gurion Universities in Israel, and was the head of Friends World College, an international university program. His books have included Obstacles to Peace, An Israeli in Palestine, and War against the People. As an activist he has protested the demolition of Palestinian homes by standing in front of Israeli bulldozers and chaining himself to Palestinian homes and for this and other activities he’s been arrested and imprisoned. Jeff is on the steering group of the One Democratic State Campaign.