British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, and the embassy team, recently visited the Negev area. The visit focused on the Bedouin communities in Negev, with the aim of understanding them and their challenges better.
During the visit, the Ambassador and team met Prof. Chaim Hames, Rector of Ben Gurion University who provided us with an insightful look into their innovation ecosystem and shared the effects of the war on the university's community. The Ambassador and the team also met Dr. Mansour Nasasra, who offered valuable context on the socio-political dynamics of the Bedouin community.
In a meeting with the AJEEC (The Arab Jewish Centre for Equality) the centre's team and several graduates underscored opportunities for collaboration in tech education and community empowerment, with Jews and Arabs working together towards a common goal.
As a part of the visit, the Ambassador and the team met the NGOs Itach-Maaki and Al-Nishmayat, who highlighted the important work being done by Bedouin women to promote gender equality and social justice within the Bedouin community, and to empower other women in their communities.
Itach-Maaki - Women Lawyers for Social Justice, is an NGO that promotes the rights and voices of marginalised women led the tour to the unrecognised Bedouin village Al Zarnouk. In this village they held a discussion on policy priorities the unrecognised villages are contending with. This discussion was enlightening and brought attention to critical issues such as housing, infrastructure and security faced by Bedouin communities, and specifically women.
The Ambassador and the team also met with the Al Zayadna family, including Aisha and Bilal, who were taken hostage into Gaza on 7 October and were released, while their father Yousef and brother Hamza are still hostages.
Ambassador Walters said: "It was shocking to hear the struggles facing these communities, especially the women. We are committed to listening to all groups in Israeli society and to better understand their experiences". He added: "The pain experienced by the Al Zayadna family is unfathomable. I want to reiterate that the UK government continues to call for the immediate release of all hostages".
