Avi Cohen-Scali, director-general of the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said the proposal addresses "the heart of the issue" and that the ministry strongly seeks a settlement arrangement for land ownership claims in Bedouin communities. The initiative was reported by Israeli media.
Avi Cohen-Scali, director-general of the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, outlined a government proposal to address long-standing Bedouin land ownership claims in unrecognized and recognized villages in the Negev. In remarks published Monday, Cohen-Scali described the initiative as touching "the heart of the issue" and expressed the ministry's strong desire to reach a final settlement. The plan aims to regulate competing ownership claims that have been a source of friction between the state and Bedouin communities for decades. No further details on the proposal's timeline or specific provisions were provided in the initial report.
The statement is the latest public signal from a ministry whose portfolio often focuses on Israel's relations with Jewish communities abroad, but which has been increasingly involved in domestic issues perceived as affecting the country's international image, including the status of Bedouin villages.
- DevelopingSettlement Ministry director details expansion of agricultural farms around Nevatim, eastern border, and beyond
- StrongIsrael approves NIS 200M plan to strengthen Jewish identity in diaspora
- StrongMinister Elkin to Yossi Dagan: 'Full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is the mission'
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz to re-examine administrative measures against settlers, demands policy shift from IDF general
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Open-source intake