Jerusalem Post/Israel News/Israel PoliticsThe Mayor of Rahat critiqued the National Security Minister for being "proud that you are a minister who destroys," asking him, "Who are you destroying for, the citizens of the country?"Follow us on GoogleView of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, near Ma'ale Adumim, in the West Bank, on May 19, 2026; Illustrative.(photo credit: WISAM HASHLAMOUN/FLASH90)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJUNE 25, 2026 18:50Approximately 1000 Bedouins gathered in Beersheba on Thursday morning to protest statements made by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about the continued demolition of illegally built homes in Bedouin communities.Ben-Gvir told a conference in Tel Aviv, "I demolished 5,700 homes in the past year alone," according to reporting by Channel 12, sparking outrage in the Bedouin community.The Mayor of Rahat, a Bedouin city in the south of Israel, Talal al-Krenawi, called Ben-Gvir's behavior "unacceptable."Al-Krenawi critiqued the National Security Minister for being "proud that you are a minister who destroys," asking him, "Who are you destroying for, the citizens of the country?"Young people protesting in Beersheba called Ben-Gvir a "son of a b****," and threatened that if the demolitions didn't stop, they would set up a tent city at the entrance to the Bedouin settlements, stopping officials from getting in.Southern District Police Commander Haim Bublil visit the Bedouin town of Rahat, southern Israel, during a police operation, May 7, 2025. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)Illegally built Bedouin homes in the NegevAccording to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are approximately 210,000 Bedouins living in the Negev, with around 90,000 living in non-regulated communities made through unapproved expansion of Bedouin cities.These communities lack municipal services, including basic water and sewage infrastructure, because there is no municipal planning or taxation.Such Bedouin communities suffer from extraordinarily high rates of unemployment, poverty, criminal activity, violence against women, and Islamic radicalization.Some communities have even established themselves in hazardous areas, such as the 14-15 thousand Bedouins living near the Ramat Hovav Toxic Waste Disposal Facility.According to the head of the Bedouin Administration, Yaakov Katz, and geographer Arnon Soffer, in the Negev area alone, there were about 1000 illegal Bedouin concentrations with over 64,000 homes in 2011, with about 2200-2000 new buildings added every year.Follow us on Google