Veteran Beekeeper Faces Repeated Vandalism Attacks on Hives in Negev Desert

David Leshem, a veteran beekeeper with over 15 years of experience and one of Israel's largest apiary owners, has faced multiple vandalism incidents targeting his beehives in the Negev over the past six months. Initially, hives near Givot Bar were destroyed, and more recently, hives near the Shoket Junction close to the "Ayrot" police station were damaged. Leshem discovered overturned and burned hives, and on one occasion, a gasoline bottle was left as a threatening message telling him to leave or the hives would be set on fire.

Leshem operates legally with proper licenses and maintains apiaries across Israel, including in Beit Horon, Modiin, and the Gaza envelope, but the vandalism has only occurred in the Negev. He suspects the attacks are attempts by individuals disregarding Israeli law to push him off the land. Leshem emphasized that this is not a private issue but a broader public concern threatening governance and rule of law, likening it to extortion. He warned that continued lawlessness and lack of enforcement could discourage beekeepers, severely impacting food production and the economy.

Bees play a critical role in pollinating many crops such as zucchini, watermelon, and tomatoes, providing pollination services valued in the billions of shekels to Israel's agricultural sector. Leshem called on law enforcement to treat these attacks as a national problem.

Leshem receives support from the "Shomer Hachadash" organization, whose regional manager, Bezalel Ganosar, condemned the repeated destruction of hives as part of a wider pattern of attacks on farmers’ property across the country. Ganosar noted that motives range from extortion and nationalist reasons to criminal theft. He stressed that the collaboration between Shomer Hachadash and the Israeli police aims to reduce these attacks, which target farmers as vulnerable victims in a chain of crime.