On Friday 17th May a packed audience at the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, listened intently to Khalil Amour who with humour and intelligence described what life was like for him, his family, and his community living in a Bedouin village in Israel.

Perhaps all you know about the Bedouin is through the story of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) who disguised himself as a Bedouin tribesman when enlisting their help during the First World War in Britain’s fight against the Ottoman Empire. It was a great privilege to listen to Khalil and to find out about the indigenous people of this area and their situation today. They are Israeli citizens but with many restrictions challenging their communities as Bedouin.

The villages are ‘unrecognized’ and are located in the Negev. This means that although they have Israeli citizenship, they do not have the same rights as a Jewish Israeli. Israel uses an Apartheid system of government where there are different classes of ‘citizens’ some have full rights, and some, like the Bedouin, have very few.

The Naqab (Negev) makes up 60% of the land of Israel, however, two thirds of it is reserved: for Military installations; forests; and recreation. Only 10% of the Israeli population live in the Naqab.

In 1948 after the establishment of Israel the forced movement of Palestinians from their lands started. Only 11,000 Bedouin remained after the Nakba, which is what that time of forced removal is called. Khalil has a land deed granted to his grandfather protecting his land rights. In a democratic nation that deed would be recognised.

In November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution partitioning Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with Jerusalem under a UN administration. The Arab world rejected the plan, arguing that it was unfair and violated the UN Charter. Jewish militias launched attacks against Palestinian villages, forcing thousands to flee. The situation escalated into a full-blown war in 1948, with the end of the British Mandate and the departure of British forces, the declaration of independence of the State of Israel and the entry of neighbouring Arab armies. The newly established Israeli forces launched a major offensive. The result of the war was the permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population. United Nations

In 1921 a delegation of Bedouin Sheiks met Winston Churchill in Jerusalem. They were assured that their rights were protected. The Bedouin, within what was to be called ‘Israel’, after 1948 were moved to The Siyag Area in The Naqab – within that area Israel has built a military airfield, a nuclear site and areas for Jewish settlers. The state of Israel from the 1960s began their policy of ‘urbanising’ the Bedouin even though this is not what the Bedouin want. Place names on the maps are changed into Hebrew versions.

The Prawer Plan involves the displacement of up to 70,000 people to move from their communities and to do this Israel bulldozes their homes, ploughs over their fields when crops are growing and destroys olive groves. The village of Alaraqeeb was destroyed in 2010. The Bedouin would rebuild and each time they did this their homes were destroyed multiple times. They now have their tents located in the cemetery. At Alaraqeeb the Israelis planted trees where once the indigenous people lived and farmed. Remember the Bedouin were assured of their land rights and their way of life by UK Secretary of State for the Colonies, Winston Churchill.

Khalil spoke about the village of Attir where Bedouin were forcibly removed to decades ago. Israel assured them that they would be there for only 6 months then they would be able to return to their own lands. Sixty years on, they were still there, unable to return to their lands, and were told they had to move on again, that they were trespassers. Khalil’s friend was shot dead there by Israeli forces.

Another Bedouin village is Um Alhiran, the Israeli Prawer Plan would demolish the Bedouin homes to create a planned town for Jewish settlers. The planned towns for Jewish settlers are fully serviced.

For Bedouin communities the limitations placed on their communities mean that infant mortality is high and there is limited pre-schooling. Homes are simply bulldozed by Israel. Children can return home from their school to find their home and their belongings obliterated by bulldozers.

Khalil lives in the village of Alsira, one of 45 ‘unrecognised’ Bedouin Villages. It exists on no maps because of the Israeli policy of it ‘not being there’, it is illegal. It has no address, no public transport and the people have no right to vote in local elections – only in general elections. Khalil’s family have lived in the area of Alsira for 7 generations and he has the land deed from his grandfather that says the land is his. The Bedouin pay taxes but for that they get minimal services provided.

The entire village of Alsira has received demolition warning orders. Instead of his name, Khalil was documented as a number. (Sound familiar). Khalil challenged the demolition orders in the courts. This took years and the courts ordered that the demolition notices should be revoked. The Bedouin organise and have united – taking part in demonstrations, engaging with politicians and the media.

Khalil explained how the community is strengthening through its own actions: establishing day care centres; building a Mosque; laying water pipes; producing electricity (4 hours a day); and paving their own dirt roads. They work through the courts and NGOs. They just want to live in peace in their own communities.

You can watch a recording of the livestream on The Orkney News YouTube channel. Apologies that near the start there is a 4 minute gap where the sound failed but from then on it is perfect.

The meeting was hosted by Orkney Friends of Palestine and Amnesty International Orkney. Livestreamed by Mike Robertson for The Orkney News.

Fiona Grahame