Qaid Alkadi's release reveals Israel's deep Arab-Jewish divide - opinion

The release of Qaid Farhan Alkadi, after 326 days in captivity, sparked a wave of joy and excitement across the country. The embrace felt from all corners of Israeli society was powerful and touching, highlighting our ability to unite in moments of crisis. However, it is important to emphasize that this warm embrace is not enough to close the deep and vast gaps that exist between Arab and Jewish societies in Israel. These gaps cannot be resolved through symbolic gestures alone – significant steps and ongoing commitment are required to address and correct these injustices and disparities.

The current situation, where Alkadi, a citizen of this country who has just returned from captivity, lives in a state of nonrecognition and faces the constant threat of eviction from his home, illustrates the harsh reality facing the Bedouin community in the Negev. Instead of being welcomed with joy and respect, his family is forced to contend with the perpetual threat of losing their home and a dire socioeconomic situation.

This is yet another testimony to the government’s neglect of the Bedouin population’s needs and its unwillingness to address the fundamental problems of this community. We must stop ignoring the harsh reality in which the residents of unrecognized villages in the Negev live and start taking action to bring about real and meaningful change.

In the Negev, which is home to approximately 35% of the Arab population in Israel, there is an urgent need for a plan that ensures all residents feel a sense of equality and belonging. For the Negev to thrive and become a shared social fabric, all its residents must live in good and dignified conditions. Today, the situation is far from that.

According to recent research published by Dr. Hama Abu-Kishk and Dr. Lior Solovovitch from Sapir College, 30.5% of Bedouin female students have no cellular reception at all in their communities, and only half of them have a laptop. These figures, along with other distressing data, highlight the digital inequality that exacerbates the social and economic gaps between populations and hinders the full integration of Bedouin students into Israeli society.

The Bedouin population suffers from ongoing neglect by the state. Bedouin villages rank at the lowest level of the socioeconomic index, with many of their residents living in difficult conditions without access to basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, and transportation. Internet infrastructure in these villages is almost nonexistent, preventing residents from accessing vital information and services and making it difficult for them to cope with daily challenges.

These social and economic disparities are not just a local issue but a national problem. They impact the strength of Israeli society as a whole and endanger the future of the Negev. To address these issues, the state must act immediately and continuously. The state must provide basic infrastructure to all its residents and citizens and create a comprehensive plan that will reduce gaps and fully integrate the Bedouin society into Israeli society.

Social and economics disparities

Of course, this is not just about providing basic services. We must understand that social and economic disparities also stem from a lack of cultural and social recognition. The Bedouin society needs recognition of its heritage, culture, and rights. The state must stop seeing the Bedouin society as an obstacle to overcome and start viewing it as an integral part of Israeli society.

While the distress of the Bedouin population is often overlooked, we at AJEEC-NISPED continue to work for this community. For 20 years, the organization has been providing educational, social, and economic services to the Bedouin population, with the goal of reducing existing gaps and helping them fully and equally integrate into Israeli society.

The state needs to understand that equality is not a luxury but a basic right for all its citizens. It must start acting in a coordinated and comprehensive manner to ensure that all its residents can enjoy equal and fair conditions. If we do not act now, we will continue to see these gaps deepen and affect all aspects of life in Israel.

The future of the Negev, and of Israel as a whole, depends on our ability to integrate all the populations that make up our society. It is time to change our approach and start genuinely and earnestly working for equality and social justice for all.

The writer is chairman of AJEEC-NISPED, the Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality, and Cooperation - Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development.