Umm Badoun Under Threat: Legal Action Against Discriminatory Evictions
Umm Badoun is an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Naqab (Negev) that has nearly 500 residents. Its residents, Bedouin citizens of Israel, were first displaced in the 1950s by Israel’s military forces from the area of Kurnub, located near present-day Dimona, to land belonging to the Al-Jhaleen tribe, whose residents were previously displaced to the occupied West Bank.
The community is primarily reliant on agriculture and tourism for its livelihood, benefitting from its proximity to the Dead Sea, Masada, and the Kfar Nokdim tourist sites. Residents depend on basic public services – including healthcare and education, as well as employment – in the nearby city of Arad, since the state does not provide on-site facilities in Umm Badoun because of its ‘unrecognized’ status. They also consider themselves to be an integral part of the wider community of Arad.
Adalah’s Fight against the Eviction Lawsuits
Between February and July 2024, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) filed over 29 lawsuits to evict all residents of Umm Badoun and demolish their homes. In September and October 2024, Adalah, representing the residents, argued that the ILA had inaccurately portrayed them as trespassers with no connection to the land, labeling them “trespassers”. Adalah refuted these allegations, contending that the residents had lived on their lands for decades, building homes, establishing families, and raising children there for generations. Over time, they developed a cohesive and supportive social and economic community.
Adalah also highlighted that the community receives water from Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, and sends its children to schools in the nearby Bedouin village of Al-Fura’a, with transportation provided by the Ministry of Education. These facts further demonstrate the legitimacy of the residents’ longstanding presence and undermine the state’s claims of trespass or unlawful possession. Adalah argued that the planned evictions violate the residents’ constitutional rights to dignity, property, housing, and equality. The organization criticized the policy as discriminatory, targeting unrecognized Bedouin villages, and contended that the lawsuits lack justification and are intended to pressure residents to abandon their homes.
Unlike cases, such as Ras Jrabah, in which the ILA has cited urban development or national infrastructure as reasons for land expropriation, the state has provided no public interest-based justification for displacing the people of Umm Badoun. This move could severely disrupt their social and economic structures, as the new area does not align with their traditional way of life and stands to undermine the community’s economic well-being. The proposed site is undeveloped, lacks housing options, and raises safety concerns for women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
In October 2024, the Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court consolidated all 29 lawsuits under a single judge, streamlining the proceedings. The first pre-hearing is scheduled for 26 May 2026.
To read the eviction lawsuits [Hebrew], click here.
To read the defense arguments [Hebrew], click here.
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