We Supported the Struggle of Umm al-Hiran Residents Against the Demolition of Their Village

17/11/24

Hundreds of Zazim members stood in solidarity with the Bedouin citizens of the Negev in their fight against a plan to demolish 11 unrecognized villages and replace them with Jewish settlements on or near the same land. Our community also supported an arts and culture festival organized by the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages, which took place in October in Umm al-Hiran – a village that had already been issued a demolition order for mid-November.

When the residents of Umm al-Hiran understood that the legal efforts had failed, they began dismantling their homes with their own hands. Still, on November 14, 2024, large forces of Ben Gvir’s police raided the ruins of Umm al-Hiran, where only the mosque remained, arrested four men from the al-Qi'an family, who were among the village's leaders, and proceeded to demolish the mosque in a show of force and violence.

While Umm al-Hiran can no longer be saved, we will not abandon the Bedouin citizens of the Negev. Our partnership with the communities of unrecognized villages did not begin today. Our community supported transportation to polling stations in 2019 and 2022, helped win a struggle for an access road to their villages in 2016, and funded a coordinator to help distribute food vouchers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Their struggle is far from over. We will continue to stand with the residents and the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages against the repressive and humiliating policies of the police and the government and continue to oppose the population transfer plan in the Negev. We remain committed to fighting for justice and equality for Israel's Bedouin citizens.