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Newsletter Issue 107, September 2013
THE ABU BASMA VILLAGES TEN YEARS AFTER RECOGNITION
In late 2003, the Israeli Government established the ‘Abu Basma’ Regional Council in the Naqab/Negev region of southern Israel and placed a number of newly-recognized Bedouin villages under its jurisdiction. Since 2003, the government has granted recognition to 13 Bedouin ‘Abu Basma’ villages.  Today, ten years on, Adalah asks whether their residents have actually benefited from recognition.
Infographic about recognition - click for full image!
In reality, recognition has meant very little. In most cases, the recognized villages are no better off than the unrecognized villages, and living conditions remain far worse than those in neighboring Jewish towns. Basic infrastructure and services are sorely lacking in the ‘Abu Basma’ villages, with homes still unconnected to the water network, schools without electricity, and raw sewage flowing through the center of Umm Batin, for example. Meanwhile, the first regional council elections have still not been held.
 
These findings are significant because under the Prawer Plan, the government is trying to move the Bedouin from the unrecognized villages to these recognized villages and the seven government-planned Bedouin towns, arguing that conditions are better there. 
ADALAH'S 8TH ANNUAL LAW STUDENTS' CAMP
On 19-21 September, Adalah held its 8th annual Arab law students’ camp for over 60 students from law schools throughout Israel. This year’s camp focused on ‘Arab citizens and discriminatory laws’. Adalah took the students on a field trip to the Bedouin villages to see the situation firsthand. The students also participated in panel discussions and workshops, and attended a human rights bazaar by Adalah and NGO partners. See photos.
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Copyright © 2013 Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, All rights reserved.


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