Bedouin future

ast week we were informed that the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev, also known as the Bedouin Directorate, has moved from the Economy Ministry to the Welfare Ministry as part of the coalition agreements between Yamina and Yesh Atid and Ra’am (United Arab List).

The news of the move was accompanied by fierce criticism by the opposition.

Several members have claimed that such a move is yet another proof that the Bennett-Lapid government is selling the Negev to the Bedouin.

Rebel-member of the coalition Yamina MK Amichai Chikli was just as critical.

“This government is sending a message of weakness,” he told Army Radio. “Ra’am is controlling now the Internal Affairs Committee and the Bedouin settlement authority in the Negev will be transferred to its control. We have here a big, big problem.”

Chikli should calm down and look at the facts behind the move.

The Bedouin Directorate was transferred from the Economy Ministry, which was run by Labor Party’s Amir Peretz until the most recent election and is now controlled by Yesh Atid’s Orna Barbivay, to the Welfare Ministry, controlled by Yesh Atid’s Meir Cohen.

Essentially, the directorate was in Yesh Atid’s hands, and it has stayed in Yesh Atid’s hands.

On top of that, it should be noted Cohen is from the southern town of Dimona. He was the town’s mayor for 10 years and is well familiar with the concerns around the Bedouin issue in the Negev.

But beyond that clarification, the objection that Ra’am will now be deciding on the future of the Negev is rampant with prejudice. What is wrong with having Arabs or Bedouin having an influence on the way they live?

One of the major complaints the Negev Bedouin have against the directorate is that it is made up mostly of Jews and that it deals more in home demolitions rather than investing in education and infrastructure.

Let’s theorize for a moment that Cohen will indeed cooperate with Ra’am on this issue – what is wrong with Bedouin from the Negev who are currently suffering from poverty and discrimination, promoting their interests and advancing their lives?

There are many issues that need to be corrected regarding the Bedouin in the Negev. In our short-memory Israeli news cycle, we tend to forget that not that long ago, Negev lawlessness and Bedouin violence dominated the headlines.

In his interview, Chikli talked about some 70,000 illegal Bedouin homes in the Negev. How did we even get into a situation where there are so many illegal homes?

It doesn’t happen in a day, not even in a decade. Clearly, whatever programs and supervision that had been in place until now had not done their job.

The same problem – and the same solution – applies also to the general Arab society in Israel.

There is a severe planning crisis in Arab towns and villages, which eventually leads to more and more illegal buildings and to an increase in crime.

So far, the government has treated it with home demolitions and opening more police stations.

While strengthening law enforcement is crucial and necessary, maybe it’s about time to try something else.

The new historic government has in its hands an opportunity that might never come back again. An Arab coalition partner can voice the actual needs of its society.

Many Arab towns in Israel lack a comprehensive outline plan, which is required for it to grow and develop. This situation created severe housing and economic crises.

But housing is only one aspect of it. There’s also education, infrastructure and other fields in which Arabs are discriminated against.

We should not be scared when we hear that Arab parties are getting involved with issues that directly affect their lives.

Instead we should see it as an opportunity for positive change – and a possible solution to problems that have plagued Israeli society for decades.

So, no, the Bedouin Directorate moving from the Economy Ministry to the Welfare Ministry is not a subversive act that will “give up” the Negev to the Bedouin.

It’s a smart move that actually might make a difference for the lives of the residents of the Negev – Bedouin and Jews alike.