Right-Wing Activists Erect Negev Outpost

Dozens of right-wing activists erected a wildcat outpost in southern Israel overnight Tuesday in protest of what they called “the State of Israel’s lack of governance in the Negev.”

They said that the move came as a response to the pervading illegal construction of the Bedouin community in the desolate southern region, which makes up around 60% of Israel’s territory, and “whitewashing of illegal construction in the region by the government.”

According to the activists, the outpost is called Ma’aleh Paula, named after Paula Ben Gurion, wife of David Ben Gurion — Israel’s first prime minister who was an ardent proponent of settling the Negev.

Large police forces arrived in the area, which was earmarked for the construction of two new neighborhoods in the nearby Bedouin city Rahat.

After failing to comply with repeated requests to evacuate, police began to haul off the activists by force and bulldozers demolished nine makeshift wooden huts. Two activists were arrested for disturbing public order.

The Negev region has long been plagued by high rates of organized crime, with a large portion of it perpetrated by Bedouin gangs, some of which boast large arsenals of illegally obtained firearms.

Israel Police has struggled to find an answer for the surging crime wave, citing a lack of manpower and resources.

This has raised a hue and a cry from locals who have been subjected to a high rate of burglaries, car thefts and robberies, with some claiming that the Negev has turned into lawless territory.

Land rights disputes between the state and the numerous Bedouin tribes scattered around the region have also become a common occurrence.