(Negev in Hebrew; Naqab in Arabic.) A desert comprising the southern half of
Israel. The biggest city is Beersheva, and there are several Kibbutzim and development towns, which were built in the 1950's to settle the influx of primarily Mizrachi Jewish immigrants coming from Arab countries. There are also a number of
Israeli military bases. Approximately 70% of the Negev's current residents are Jewish, while 30% are
Bedouin, half of whom live in 45 unrecognized villages and half who live in seven impoverished and over-crowded government-planned towns, which taken together comprise 2% of the land of the Negev/Naqab. See "
One last appeal before a Bedouin village in the Negev is demolished and a Jewish town is built in its place," Allison Deger, Mondoweiss, June 1, 2015. See also "
Bedouin's plight: 'We want to maintain our traditions. But it's a dream here,'" Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian, Nov 3 2011.