by Dan Margalit
The plan that Benny
Begin and Ehud Prawer created to resolve the land issue in the Negev,
following serious discussions headed by retired Supreme Court Justice
Eliezer Goldberg, is fair and logical. Many Bedouins also know this, but
they won't dare go against the demagogic trend dominating public
discussion in the south.
I have toured the Negev
twice in the last three years, once as part of an initiative led by a
Jewish organization that claims that Bedouins have been given offers
that are too generous. Not all these claims are fictitious, and yet,
reason and prudence are on the side of the Prawer-Begin offer.
In the areas nearby the
disputed lands, there are kibbutzim founded by the Shomer Hatzair youth
movement, and among them are the friends of the Bedouins -- members of
the Meretz party. If only the party's views hadn't fallen upon the
Bedouins, they too would voice support for the proposed arrangement.
It's a shame, since
those who understand the topic know that if the Bedouins accept the
offer, it will improve their community's welfare, and they themselves
reject the romantic notion of the desert and the tents and the guard
dogs, the lifestyle that has damaged their income and education levels.
An opportunity, not a loss
The Jewish state is not
an innocent youth in the scouts movement established by Robert
Baden-Powell. When they told him it was his duty to strive for a good
deed each day, he decided to actualize that directive and held tightly
to the hand of an old blind woman to help her cross the road -- even
though she had wanted to stay put. The Prawer-Begin Plan is a privilege,
not an obligation. It is an opportunity, not a loss.
They don't want it?
There is no reason to force it upon them and there is no reason for it
to boil over into violent protests. It is up to the government to
express sorrow and to announce that it is leaving the door open for the
Bedouins, and in the meantime, to stick to two principles: It will not
coerce the Bedouins to accept the plan, but it will actively,
effectively and aggressively prevent any further deviation or attempt to
control more land on their part; and if a Bedouin community supports
the plan without even a minority objection, the government will request
to implement the plan in that area -- it is up to the government to
consider this without waiting for others.
In the distant past,
people like David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Ben-Tzvi thought it was
possible that the Bedouins would convert to Judaism. That is a pipe
dream gone from this world. But there is no need to jump from that
utopia to the reality of constant conflict. If they want the proposed
plan -- great. If not, then not.
At the same time, the
government can renew momentum for construction in the Negev for other
Israeli citizens. The Israel Defense Forces, in any case, is making its
way to the Negev. A giant desert is waiting to bloom. It is up to the
government to offer soldiers free housing from Dimona, Yerucham and
southward. Of course, also to Bedouin soldiers. In any event, the impact
of the plan is moving toward the center of the country with the
proposal to extend the train and Ben-Gurion University attracting more
and more students.
There is also an employment plan
for the Negev even if the Bedouins decide to miss out on this golden
opportunity, and that comes without the violence accompanying the
present argument.
Dan Margalit
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=6533
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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