Dozens of right-wing activists erected a wildcat outpost in southern Israel overnight Wednesday in protest of what they called "the State of Israel's lack of governance in the Negev."
They said that the move came as a response to the pervading illegal construction of the Bedouin community in the desolate southern region, which makes up around 60% of Israel's territory, and "whitewashing of illegal construction in the region by the government."
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Right-wing activists build a makeshift wooden hut in a wildcat outpost in southern Israel, February 9, 2022
(Photo: Israel Police)
According to the activists, the settlement is called Ma'ale Pola, named after Pola Ben Gurion, wife of David Ben Gurion — Israel's founding father and first prime minister who was an ardent proponent of settling the Negev.
Large police forces arrived in the area, which was earmarked for the construction of two new neighborhoods in the nearby Bedouin city Rahat.
Knesset members Simcha Rotman, Orit Strock and Itamar Ben Gvir, all of the ultranationalist Religious Zionist Party, also arrived at the scene to voice their support.
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Bulldozer demolishes makeshift wooden hut in wildcat outpost built by right-wing activists in southern Israel, February 9, 2022
(Photo: Israel Police)
After failing to comply with repeated requests to evacuate, police began to haul off the activists by force and bulldozers demolished nine makeshift wooden huts. Two activists were arrested for disturbing public order.
The Negev region has long been plagued by high rates of organized crime, with a large portion of it perpetrated by Bedouin gangs, some of which boast large arsenals of illegally obtained firearms.
Israel Police has struggled to answer for the surging crime wave, citing a lack of manpower and resources.
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Police officer standing against the wreckage of a wildcat outpost constructed by right-wing activists in southern Israel, February 9, 2022
(Photo: Roee Idan)
This has raised a hue and a cry from locals who have been subjected to a high rate of burglaries, car thefts and robberies, with some claiming that the Negev has turned into a lawless exterritory.
Land rights disputes between the state and the numerous Bedouin tribes scattered around the region have also become a common occurrence.
Last month, Israel’s fragile governing coalition faced a crisis after Bedouins staged violent protests against tree planting on disputed land in the Negev desert.
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Horseback police watch on as protesters clash with security forces during a land rights dispute in southern Israel, January 12, 2022
(Photo: Haim Horenstein)
The protests have broken out due to a dispute between the al-Atrash Bedouin tribe and Israel. The Jewish National Fund (JNF) — a contractor on behalf of Israel — sought to plant trees on land claimed by tribesman Soliman Atrash. The group has been doing forestation work all across Israel, and in the Negev in particular, for over a century.
The Islamist Ra’am party, which enjoys strong support among Bedouin Israelis, has threatened to withhold its votes in parliament in protest.
The Bedouins are a historically nomadic Arab minority that numbers around 230,000 individuals in Israel.