Less Than 1% of Israel’s Bomb Shelters are located in Arab Towns; Adalah Demands Equal Protection
Following a governmental decision issued on 16 March 2026 allocating NIS 81 million for the placement of 1,100 mobile shelters nationwide in order to “reduce shielding gaps and strengthen home front readiness,” Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Home Front Command, and the Deputy Attorney General. The letter, sent on 31 March 2026, was prompted by grave concerns that the implementation of this decision would replicate historical patterns of discrimination in the distribution of life-saving shelters. This comes amid mounting evidence of staggering disparities in the level of sheltering available in Arab and Jewish towns.
According to official data, Arab towns suffer from an acute shortage of all forms of shielding, including public shelters, reinforced residential rooms (MAMADs), and communal secure spaces (MAMAKs), a deficit that directly translates into higher casualty rates and loss of life during wartime. Decades of institutional neglect have left Arab local authorities severely under-resourced; only 37 of Israel’s 11,775 public shelters are located within Arab municipalities. According to NGO surveys, approximately 41% of Palestinian citizens of Israel are without access to shelters. Furthermore, approximately 165,000 residents of the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Naqab (Negev) lack any protective infrastructure or warning systems, despite their direct exposure to rocket fire and shelling.
In the letter, Adalah Attorney Salam Irsheid demanded that Arab localities be prioritized for mobile shelters under the March 2026 government decision. Highlighting the stark lack of protection in Arab communities, Adalah argued that the state is legally bound to distribute life-saving shelters without discrimination, and that failing to do so severely violates Palestinian citizens’ rights to life, safety, and equality.
