Activists set to rally in solidarity with Bedouin citizens

Social activists and Palestinian members of Israel’s Knesset are set to begin a four-day protest march over the plight of Palestinian Bedouins in the occupied territories.

The rally is planned to start in the Negev desert on Thursday and end in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Participants in the rally will pass through some of the unrecognized Bedouin communities before reaching al-Quds. Thousands of Palestinians live in Bedouin villages which Israel doesn’t recognize.

Sources say participants also plan to gather outside the Israeli president’s residence. The activists want to raise awareness about the hardships of unrecognized Bedouin communities in Israel.

The developments come as the demolition of Bedouin homes is part of Israel’s massive land grab plan, which will forcefully displace thousands of people.

In the Negev desert, Israel has already authorized the expulsion of tens of thousands of Bedouin Arabs from where they have lived for generations.

Bedouin villages in the desert frequently come under attack by Israeli forces.They are subject to regular eviction orders as part of Israel’s settlement expansion.

More than 150,000 Bedouins live in the occupied Palestinian territories, mostly in and around Negev.

Nearly half of Bedouins live in villages where Israel denies access to water and electricity.

The Bedouins are deprived of the basic infrastructure, including access to water and electricity grids, health and education services, roads and other facilities.

Rights groups have repeatedly called on the Israeli regime to stop the demolition of Bedouins’ homes.