Bedouin Leaders Condemn National Security Minister Ben Gvir's Tree Planting in Negev as Provocation

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is set to visit a site in the Negev near Highway 6 on July 29, 2026, where preparations for tree planting are underway. The planting, organized by the Jewish National Fund and Israel Land Authority, aims to protect the land from illegal construction and grazing, and to support national infrastructure expansion southward along Highway 6. Officials from the Ministry of National Security emphasized that the presence of state authorities at the site is intended to prevent unauthorized land invasions.

However, the Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev strongly criticized the initiative, calling it a failed and pathetic campaign that wastes public funds. They argued that the 150,000 residents of the unrecognized villages will not be displaced by a few dunams of forest, which they doubt will even be planted. The council also accused Ben Gvir of political opportunism amid declining poll numbers, labeling him a "communication-obsessed clown" who has failed in all areas of governance.

Atiya Alaasam, head of the council, described the tree planting as a provocative election stunt designed to sow discord between Jewish and Arab residents living together in the region. He condemned Ben Gvir's failures in crime prevention and protection efforts, expressing hope that he will soon disappear from the political scene. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over land rights and governance in the Negev, with both Jewish and Arab communities affected by the contested policies.

Ben Gvir's visit and the planting campaign are part of broader efforts by the Israeli government to assert control over disputed lands in the Negev, but they have sparked sharp backlash from local Bedouin leaders who view the actions as politically motivated and harmful to community relations.