Links

http://www.baehd.org/

http://punchberry.blogspot.com/2007/04/students-explore-bedouin-community.html

Need Statement

The Bedouin neighborhood, in Taibeh, is both one of the largest neighborhoods in Taibeh and one of the poorest and most neglected. Despite their right and guarantee to basic services as both Israeli citizens and as victims of a government-forced displacement, the people of the Bedouin neighborhood of Taibeh suffer continuously from the lack of basic infrastructure, including running water, a sewage system, proper housing, dependable electricity, local educational services, and basic health care services.
Women are especially affected by the lack of resources and services. Almost 90% of women in the Bedouin neighborhood of Taibeh are illiterate. Research by the Association has revealed that teachers treat Bedouin students with neglect, carelessness, and contempt, keeping Bedouin students from integrating within the school system. For many Bedouin girls and women, the educational system does not provide knowledge which seems relevant to their lives. In addition, social attitudes which stress female protection cause parents to refuse to send female adolescents to far away schools along unsafe routes. Illiteracy affects all aspects of a woman’s life. Socially, it is harder for women to travel or act independently due to their inability to speak, read, or write Hebrew. Even if a woman does manage to travel to Kefar Saba or Netanya to receive medical care for example, she will find it difficult to communicate with the doctor or nurse. Lastly, women, the primary caregivers within the Bedouin family, are unable to help their children with homework, resulting in generational gulfs and continued difficulty in educational achievement. Due to their lack of formal education and a social environment which discourages Bedouin women from working outside the home, most are financially dependent on husbands and fathers. The lack of infrastructure in the Bedouin neighborhood discourages local business initiatives and deters any outside businesses from entering the neighborhood. As a result 70% of the neighborhood population is unemployed. Many women feel emotionally and socially displaced in an environment which does not value or need the nomadic household skills which previously allowed women to be productive members of the family and economy. Today, many women are thought of as burdens to their families. Domestic violence and even the murder of women are common and polygamy, although illegal under Israeli law, is on the rise.

The Bedouin Association for Education & Health Development

The Bedouin Association for Education & Health Development was established as a registered, non-profit organization in 2002 by concerned, local residents who wanted to improve the educational levels and the living conditions of the Bedouin community in the center of Israel. After years of continued neglect by both the local Municipalities and the Israeli government, Bedouin residents organized on the grassroots level with the aim of affecting and improving our
own destiny. Last year, a new board of directors was elected democratically in order to build an effective, strategic plan of action for the community. With little funding from world organizations, and with the goodwill of volunteers, we have begun implementing after-school programming for youth. With support, our organization seeks to work in the following areas over the next few years:
 Education: strengthening Bedouin youth through educational enrichment, sports activities, youth-at-risk programs and leadership development that increase their self-esteem and their chances to stay in school and to not turn to violence and drugs.
 Women’s Empowerment: building programs in the areas of literacy, economic development, health and child development and consciousness raising in order to encourage to work and to have another source of money, to have their independence and to be active in decision-making at home and in general.
 Advocacy: we seek to work with the local and national authorities to improve the living conditions and to educate and empower the residents to improve our life. We will raise awareness in aspect of health rights and we are going to empower women in different fields.

Bedouin Community of Taibeh in Israel- Background

The Bedouin population of Taibeh originates from the area called Tel-Malkhatah in the Negev, which was transformed into a military base, today called “Nevatim”. The Bedouin population was wronged as a result of the peace process between Israel and Egypt which took place in the late 70’s. The state of Israel chose the land in these areas to erect military bases previously placed in Sinai.
After the decision was made to confiscate the land, the state of Israel founded an administrative body whose role was to negotiate with the Bedouins of Tel-Malkhatah and improve the situation of the Bedouins whose lands were confiscated or who soled their lands to the state. The managing body only made the situation worse for the Bedouins. As if it was not enough that confiscate the land, it offered very meager compensation in return.
We waged an unprecedented legal battle in order to obtain our most basic rights after such an evacuation – adequate compensation as well as righting the wrong done to the offended families whose lands were confiscated. Sadly, we lost in all legal instances and all our judicial attempts were blocked by the assertion that our lands were a “military zone necessary for the defense of all of the citizens of the State”. Even the supposedly objective legal system caused much misery to the Bedouins, soon to be citizens of Taibeh, thus affected our education, development and more. Our parents decided to receive meager compensation and with little funds and few choices, decided in the early 80’s to immigrate to the area of Kalansuwah, in the Triangle area, some 12 Km north-east of Kfar Saba. There we received fair treatment and an understanding of our plight from good people who agreed to offer them housing for three years for no pay. The parents, along with sons, went out to do hard manual labor in order to earn money and buy land. After a certain period, the landlords where our parents were living requested their lands back, since we wanted to use them to build houses for our children. Our parents then found a few acres in Taibeh and immigrated there towards the end of 1984. On arrival in Taibeh we suffered hostile treatment from the local population who did not welcome us and did not accept the reality of our lands being confiscated by the state. We were called names such as “traitors who serve in the Israeli Army (even though Taibeh is an Israeli town in every sense).
Next, the Bedouins suffered several forms of harassment. As if it was not enough that the state confiscated the lands with no recompense, in 1988 the municipality of Taibeh decided to destroy several buildings that were ready for inhabitants, claiming we did not have building permits. Only recently, and due to pressure from above does the Taibeh municipality intend to include the Bedouin neighborhood in its master plan. The program, however, is stuck due to political interests.