Bedouin communities in the
Negev/Naqab desert and the Galilee that are not officially recognized by
Israel; as a result, these villages do not have state support for basic services and infrastructure, such as electricity, roads and water. Of the approximate 170,000 Bedouins in Israel, half live in unrecognized villages, most of which pre-date the establishment of the state of Israel. Unrecognized villages are especially vulnerable to destruction by the
Israeli military. Once such acute example of this is al-Araqib, an unrecognized village in the Negev/Naqab that was demolished in whole or in part 80 times between 2010 and 2014. Residents of al-Araqib have been involved in a protracted struggle with Israeli authorities for their village's survival, a struggle that many rights groups and activists have joined, yet, the village continues to be destroyed each time it is rebuilt. Residents have been sleeping in the cemetery, which they have been assured will not be demolished. See "
In Israel's Desert, A Fight for Land," Ben Lynfield, The Christian Science Monitor, Feb 20, 2003; "
Negev Bedouins - and unrecognized villages," The Association for Civil Rights in Israel; and "
Israel demolishes al-Araqib village buildings for 80th time," Ma'an News Agency, Jan 14, 2015.