**The Bedouins of Khirbet Karkur: A Forgotten Community Seeking Recognition**
Under the scorching sun of Israel’s Negev desert sit the residents of the Bedouin village of Khirbet Karkur. Living in tents and makeshift homes covered in tin roofs, these residents sit not far from the Gaza border, witnessing the sounds of the war taking place next door.
The Bedouin community numbers approximately 300,000 in the Negev. As Arab-Muslim citizens of Israel, many still struggle to find their place in Israeli society 75 years after the establishment of the Jewish state, despite many serving in the military.
The war with Hamas has only heightened this sense of uncertainty. Bedouins living near the Gaza border feel doubly victimized: first, by being within range of Hamas rockets with minimal protection, and second, by being marginalized by the state, a marginalization that has deepened since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
The village of Khirbet Karkur is not recognized by the Israeli state. The residents live a semi-nomadic life in an open desert area, in homes not connected to the Israeli electricity or water grid. Like many other unrecognized villages, there are no schools or hospitals, and residents say women have had to give birth in cars on the way to the hospital because ambulances struggle to reach the town.
Unlike millions of other Israelis during the war, they have no warning sirens or access to shelters to protect them from Hamas rockets. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system often ignores strikes over their village, residents say, because it doesn’t target projectiles that aren’t likely to fall in populated areas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that it was “not possible to provide details on the air defense system’s policy due to information security considerations.”
Villagers say the rest of the country had all but forgotten about them — until last week, when a crowd of journalists traveled along dusty roads to the dusty village to celebrate the release of Farhan Al-Qadi, 52, from Hamas captivity. Khirbet Karkur is his hometown.
Al-Qadi was abducted along with 250 others by Hamas-led militants on October 7. He was captured at Kibbutz Magen, where he worked as a security guard, and was freed last week from a tunnel in Gaza by Israeli security forces, the Israeli military said..
Speaking to reporters the day after his release, Al-Qadi expressed the wish “that the war will end for all Palestinian and Israeli families.”
Israeli officials said that Al-Qadi’s abduction and release show that all its citizens – Jews and Muslims alike – are equally vulnerable to terrorism, adding that the state is committed to ensuring the release of every citizen.
Israel’s Bedouin community is considered a subsection of the country’s Arab population, making up about 20 percent of the country’s total population of 10 million.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Al-Qadi on the day of his release, and according to a transcript provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, said: “I want you to know that we do not forget anyone, just as we have not forgotten you. We are committed to bringing everyone back, without exception.”
In November, the prime minister visited the Bedouin battalion called the “IDF Battalion in the Negev,” a unit made up mostly of Muslim Bedouin soldiers, saying that “Jewish and Bedouin commanders stand shoulder to shoulder” and that “our partnership is the future of all of us against these savages.”
However, some Bedouin leaders and residents of the village of Al-Qadi say the state is celebrating its liberation without taking adequate steps to address the community’s long-standing needs.
Waleed Alhwashla, a Bedouin member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, said that while Netanyahu and his coalition present Israeli Arabs as equals to Jewish citizens, the reality on the ground is very different.
“Netanyahu is lying to the families of the hostages, to the world, he is lying in negotiations, to President (Joe) Biden and to America,” Alhwashla told CNN. “It cannot change the reality inside Israel, where there are violations of freedom, human rights and the rights of the Arab minority,” he added.
The semi-nomadic Bedouin community is primarily tribal, with family trees stretching as far as Gaza and northern Sinai in Egypt. Many clearly consider themselves Israeli Bedouins, while others see themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Unlike most Jewish Israelis, Bedouins are not required to serve in the Israeli army, although some choose to do so, often in specialized units operating in the Negev desert.
Bedouins who join the army receive state support to complete their secondary education, Hebrew classes and driving lessons. Some also join to protect the land where they live, according to Israeli media, especially after O.
This Bedouin community in Israel, steeped in a rich history and culture, continues to struggle to be fully recognized and integrated into Israeli society. Their story and challenges deserve special attention, as they reflect a forgotten but resilient community, desperate to find their place in a nation that is also their home.
In conclusion, the Bedouins of Khirbet Karkur are much more than just a Bedouin community – they are individuals with their own stories, struggles and aspirations. It is crucial that their voices be heard and that concrete steps be taken to fully recognize and support this marginal but essential community in Israeli society.