The war affects the Bedouin population in almost every aspect of life. Those who were hit on October 7 by Hamas terrorists, even though they identified themselves as Muslims, were hit a second time when they received missiles, experienced the destruction of houses and a new survey shows that also occupationally.
Although the general society has shown recovery and a decrease in unemployment rates recently, the Bedouins in the Negev have been suffering from increasing unemployment rates since the beginning of the war. In December, the average rate of job seekers in the Bedouin settlements in the Negev was 15%, compared to 8.7% in the southern district as a whole and 6.5% job seekers in the whole country. This is according to a document recently published by the “Nagabia” center, which specializes in surveying the Bedouin population in the Negev.
304,513 Bedouins live in the Negev. 63% of them in planned towns (Rahat, Hora, Lakia, Tel Sheva, Kasifa Arara in the Negev and Gab Shalom), 9% in regional councils (Neveh Mebar and El Qasum) that unite 11 villages, and 28% in 35 unrecognized villages.
From September to December: a constant increase in the percentage of unemployed
The unemployment figures for the month of December, three months after the outbreak of the war, stand out against the background of the figures from last September, on the eve of the war. According to the National Insurance data, 50% of the Bedouins living in the towns are below the poverty line (22.9% in the Southern District, 33.8% nationally). In March 2023, the unemployment rate in the Bedouin communities in the Negev was 13.23% compared to 4.14% in Israel and 4.76% in the Arab communities.
Also according to the employment service, the average rate of job seekers in the Bedouin towns was 15% in December 2023. In Berhat, where most of the Bedouin are concentrated in the Negev as well as the industrial areas, the unemployment rate in September was 7.2% and jumped to 10.6% in December. A similar increase also occurred in the Negev, far from the fighting zones, from 16.1% unemployed in September to 19.6% in December.
The employment service data shows that there is an increase between October and November in the unemployment rate among non-professional workers, machine operators and Jewish drivers in the Southern District, but a stabilization and even a decrease in December. On the other hand, in the same professions among the Bedouin in the district, there is a constant upward trend in the rate of job seekers. There is a 66% increase in the rate of Bedouin job seekers during the war.
“The situation is acute in various settlements in the South District, Jews and Arabs. During the war, the professions common among the Bedouin were affected,” explains Dr. Manal Harib, director of the “Nagabia” center and the editors of the survey, “21% of the residents of the South District are Bedouin, the rate of Bedouin unemployed in December is disproportionate to their proportion in the population. In the survey we conducted, we found that the Bedouins were the first to be fired, in a state of war they first hurt the weak. In addition, there is extremism and negative attitudes towards the Arab population. A high proportion of the respondents did not feel protected.”
Dr. Manal Harib, Director of the Research and Information Center for the Bedouin Population in the Negev – “Negbia”. (Photo: Habib Samaan)
According to Dr. Harib, the state institutions do not have accurate data on the Bedouin population in the Negev. “28% of the population (Bedouin, Y.S.) are not sampled, there is a missing sample.” Therefore, the center conducted an online survey among the Bedouin population in the Negev. 350 participated in the survey Respondents from the towns, regional councils and unrecognized villages.
According to the survey, 15.45% of the respondents reported the loss of their source of income, 6.44% were sent to unemployment benefits, and 0.86% were fired. 77.25% of the respondents said that they were not affected occupationally. The data shows that 3.28% of the residents of the unknown villages were fired and 19.67% lost their source of their income.
68.28% of the respondents claimed that their economic security was affected by the war, of which 23.79% to a very large extent. 71.67% of the residents of the unknown villages answered that the feeling of economic security was undermined compared to 68% in the towns and 64.1% in the regional councils.
Injured in the war: occupational, personal and nutritional security
These data, along with the state of the infrastructure, affect accessibility to food, basic necessities and health services. 65.10% reported damage to access to food and basic supplies, 61.8% said that their access to medical care was damaged and 59.1% said that they have difficulty financing medical care and medicine. Segmentation according to the places of settlement reveals that the proportion of residents of the unknown villages whose access to food and health services has been compromised is the highest, and stands at more than 70% on average.
The survey found that most of those with a high school education or below (63.5%-76%) suffer from impaired access to basic foods, food, medicine and treatments, but those with an academic education also suffer from this in large proportions (50%-63.5%).
“While the situation of the Bedouins worsened during the war, the gaps between the settlements were maintained,” says Dr. Harib. “This is actually the weakening of the underprivileged. As the marginality increases, so does the rate of economic damage.”
The survey also tested the respondents’ sense of personal security. 43.5% said that they do not feel safe going to mixed cities like Beer Sheva. 47% are very afraid of manifestations of racism in the workplace. 56% reported that they fear expressions of racism in the public sphere. But 52% fear racism and harassment from officials.
“Third sector organizations react faster”
These data are partially explained by the continuation of the house demolition policy during the war. “During the war when the residents are in economic distress and without protection, the government ordered the demolition of houses, this harms the trust of the citizens in the government officials,” says Dr. Harib. “70% reported that their economic security was damaged. We know there was a shortage of baby food. Instead of investing in this, they invested resources in destroying houses.”
The authors of the document recommend investing in infrastructure and distributing food and medicine in the unrecognized villages, alongside developing employment opportunities for the Bedouin population. “The government must do the basic things, investment in infrastructure and regulation. This is a young population that does not have an ideology against work. It can be productive if they invest in the right places,” says Dr. Harib. “There are work intervention programs that have failed. They were not compatible with the population and ineffective. Instead of spreading money on populist and ineffective programs, we should invest in the right places, in infrastructure, in education protection and in creating employment opportunities.”
Dr. Harib appreciates the work of civil society in easing the situation, but demands that the state show responsibility and act to correct the situation. “Third sector organizations respond faster in general, this is what happened in Israel. Time and time again they take command of places of basic scarcity. We operate in the three directions of making knowledge accessible, helping the population and exerting pressure on the government. We need to act in all arenas. There are collaborations between the organizations, but they need to be strengthened.”
“The question is where is the state?”, asks Hariv, “We need to invest in the population, in the human capital in the potential. There is a need for solutions that arise from the needs of the population, from the population itself.”
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2024-04-07 05:05:50
