In light of the unprecedented, violent Bedouin rioting throughout the Negev that has been gaining in scope and intensity, the Regavim Movement demands that the IDF and Border Police take immediate action to secure the safety of the citizens of the Negev.
Regavim Director-General Meir Deutsch said in a statement that “during the May 2021 Riots it took too much time and cost too many lives before the security system managed to restore calm to the streets. The highways and roads of the Negev burned for days on end, far too long and at a cost of precious lives, before security forces managed to restore calm and personal safety. We must not allow these events to repeat themselves. That is why we are demanding that immediate, proactive involvement of the IDF and Border Police.”
Here’s something to consider: in 2021, some 1,500 Bedouin served in the IDF and the Border Police. Employing them in confronting Bedouin riots could prove complicated. Indeed, all the Bedouin who served in the Knesset opposed the IDF recruitment of their fellow Bedouin who are all volunteers and not compelled to serve by law.
Former MK Taleb el-Sana of Ra’am, who was the longest serving Arab MK until he lost his seat in 2013, opposed the Bedouin’s service in the IDF, and even called these soldiers “part of Israel’s genocide machine against the Palestinians” and called on them to return to “their natural place among their people.”
Something to think about.
Meanwhile, Deutch suggested that “the nightmare scenarios of the past two days in the Negev are a direct result of the government’s capitulation in the forestation project. As we predicted, caving in to violence and to the Raam Party’s blackmail will inevitably lead to increased violence.”
Deutsch also said that “the shocking statements made by elected officials, most notable among them by Deputy Minister Yair Golan, are fueling the conflagration that is engulfing the Negev. This is the time to take responsibility; it’s time to take a hard look and learn the hard lessons – right now, before the situation spirals even further out of control.”