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and experience to piece together a larger two-thirds of Israel – has become the
picture of the underlying issues, and to basis for strategic planning in the Negev.”
formulate solutions. With hard facts and
incisive analysis, they take any and every Polygamy in the Bedouin Sector
procedural and legal measure necessary to “An important outgrowth of our activity
compel those responsible to enforce the law. in the Negev is this past year’s report on
And when the law is insufficient or unclear, the practice of polygamy in the Bedouin
they focus their efforts on lobbying and sector. Polygamy is illegal in Israel;
participation in Knesset hearings, and have nonetheless, the State of Israel has turned
become a major contributor to important a blind eye to the widespread – and
pieces of legislation that strive to fill the growing – practice of polygamy among
gaps that allowed the problems to arise in Bedouin in the Negev for decades. As
the first place.
a result, the Bedouin population in the
It’s painstaking, exacting work on a Negev is the fastest growing population
1
shoestring budget with a small but in the world, doubling in size every 15 Meir Deutsch, Director-General, Regavim
dedicated staff. The odds against their years. This phenomenal rate of growth
success seem insurmountable; the has made the resolution of the Negev’s vision for Israeli sovereignty throughout
magnitude of the challenges stupendous. housing and regulation crises far more the Land of Israel.”
Yet they have sued the United Nations difficult, and has created an untenable
for violations of Israel’s sovereignty in situation of lawlessness, underprivilege, Naomi Kahn, Director of Regavim’s
Jerusalem, forced the European Union to and political disenfranchisement among International Division, sums it up:
“Our activities extend from the ground
halt illegal construction in the Adumim Israel’s Bedouin citizens.”
region, rewritten Israel’s Planning and Regavim spent years sounding the – literally – all the way up to Israel’s
Construction Law, and more. legislative and judicial elites, from
alarm about this phenomenon, which “Protecting the Eternal,” a joint project
Some of their recent successes are is inextricably entangled in domestic that safeguards Israel’s archaeological
already having a tremendous impact. abuse, violation of the rights of women treasures, through “The Adam v’Adamah
Amichai Yogev, Southern Region Field and children, staggering financial and Center for Zionism, Jurisprudence,
Coordinator, explains: “Let’s take social burdens on Israel’s economy, and and Society,” which promotes the
Israel’s land-use policy in the Negev the radicalization of the disenfranchised, formulation and dissemination of pro-
as an example. After investigating and neglected, and underprivileged children settlement legal doctrine among jurists,
documenting the massive problem of born into this reality; this past year, at last, academics, media and public figures, and
illegal Bedouin settlements, we presented their efforts brought about a significant the general public. All of this depends
our comprehensive plan for the Negev shift in the government’s policy. “New on the partnership and support of Jews
to the government in 2017. Since then, Ministry of Justice directives, based on from around the world who share our
“The Negev Challenge,” our vision for the our recommendations, have begun to love of Israel. Each and every one of them
future of this region – which comprises address the problem, as part of our overall shares the responsibility, the vision, and
the success – and we welcome others to
join our fight to protect Israel’s resources,
preserve Israeli sovereignty, and secure
our shared birthright – for our children,
grandchildren, and beyond.”

1 According to the UN World Population Study,
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, and data
supplied by the National Insurance Institute of
Israel. The full report may be viewed at http://
bit.ly/2LzMeSl or on Regavim’s website (www.
regavim.org).

To learn more, or to invite a
Regavim representative to your

community, contact Naomi Kahn
at n.regavim@gmail.com.

Birds-eye view of illegal Bedouin settlement in the Negev

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