Reconstruction

The voices of Bedouin-Arab women on the demolition of their homes in the unrecognized villages of the Negev

Abstract

Forty five Bedouin-Arab villages in the Negev are deemed illegal settlements by the State of Israel; thus, the residents' homes are subject to demolition. In 2007, more than 200 buildings were destroyed. Based on in-depth interviews, the study investigates the impact of house demolitions on Bedouin-Arab women. It shows that, related to socioeconomic and sociocultural factors, the family's home is of essential meaning for the lives and identity of Bedouin-Arab women. The state policy of house demolitions therefore inflicts terror and severe trauma on women, exacerbated by the manner in which these demolitions are executed. Moreover, women bear the main burden of rebuilding homes and family life. The forms of resistance that Bedouin-Arab women find-despite limited resources and contradictory gender norms-strongly reflect their role as mothers. They thus transform alienation and enmity against a state that is perceived as discriminatory, oppressive and hostile into constructive forces of caretaking and rebuilding.