Muddy fields have become a stage for protest and political turmoil in southern Israel, where Bedouin residents are facing off against state-backed bulldozers.
“The residents here won’t stand by and do nothing,” said Saja Al Atrash, 18, in Sawa.
The rural Bedouin village appears calm, with children trundling home from school while a cockerel crows in the distance.
But this month, the area was cordoned off as riot police confronted demonstrators.
“There was brutal treatment,” said Ms Al Atrash, a keffiyeh wrapped around her shoulders.
“They were using tear gas, they were using stun grenades and they directly hit protesters. People were wounded.”
Protesters had gathered at the entrance to Sawa because bulldozers were digging up land surrounding the village.
Israel says the land belongs to the state, while Bedouin residents say they have owned it since before the country was established in 1948.
The Sawa case has thrust the decades-long dispute into the spotlight, sparking a political crisis that has threatened to topple the government.
Ra’am, an Arab party that relies on votes from the Negev, is the linchpin of the coalition and threatened to withhold its votes over the affair.
The bulldozers withdrew within days, leaving churned earth where one resident said crops had recently been sowed.
Reassurances were reportedly given that negotiations over future plans would involve villagers, but the Bedouins are still waiting.
Residents “have repeatedly declared that there is not any official understanding, and the only state bodies that contact them are actually the police,” said Amir Abu Koider, a local activist.
The Jewish National Fund, an organisation contracted by the government for the tree-planting project, declined to comment on the matter.
The status of the afforestation plan remains unknown and Mr Abu Koider warned that the situation could escalate unless the government changes tack.
“The street is somehow boiling,” he said. “This anger is accumulating due to the different policies and we are probably heading for additional confrontations soon.”
Demonstrations have moved to a nearby city, Beer Sheva, whose office blocks are visible across the plains from Sawa.
Rallies are held regularly outside the courthouse, to protest against the detention of about 150 children and adults accused of breaking the law during the village demonstrations.
Marwan Abu Freih, a lawyer representing some of those arrested, said the failure to resolve the land disputes historically is having a tangible impact on the community.
“The conflict began with land but today it’s our life. Many people, many children, many women in unrecognised villages are without any infrastructure,” said Mr Abu Freih, who works with Adalah, an Israeli organisation for Arab rights.
As well as rejecting Bedouin claims of land ownership, dozens of villages are deemed “unrecognised” because previous administrations refused to give them legal status through planning legislation.
Sawa was legalised in 2010, although the move did not incorporate the surrounding land, and the village still lacks amenities.
“We don’t have the minimum necessities of life on this land,” said Ms Al Atrash, beside a dirt track connecting the homes.
Ra’am has pledged to grant many more villages legal status, but there has been little progress since the party came to office in June.
Bedouins who live in “unrecognised” areas are under pressure to move to towns, as well as being at risk of having their homes demolished.
While the recent protests focused on one tract of land, they have drawn attention to the broader situation faced by Bedouins in the Negev.
Adan Alhjooj, 18, from the nearby village of Lakiyya, said “more of a movement” has appeared in the community.
“Even people who don’t own land there, I think it’s the first time there was solidarity over all,” she said.
Scores of young Bedouins, including Ms Alhjooj and Ms Al Atrash, took to social media to broadcast the recent events.
They have drawn international attention to the Negev, galvanising them to revive the protests if the bulldozers return.
“For the first time ever, people are actually learning about who we are and they are seeing what is happening to us,” Ms Alhjooj said.
“It is giving me more courage.”
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
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Don’ts
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- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
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- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
