“An entire generation remains disconnected” | “Students resort to traveling to a parking lot in Arad just to complete assignments and send emails where there’s cell reception” | “Residents don’t hear the missile alerts or receive emergency updates when they need to hide in the protected space, unless someone nearby has cellular service” | “Even in schools and community centers, connectivity is limited.”
These are only some of the first-hand accounts shared during the educational field tour recently organized by the Israel Internet Association’s Arab Forum for Digital Inclusion in Israel, held in the Negev on October 21, 2024. The event highlighted the digital challenges faced by the Bedouin population in Israel. The tour featured visits to several Bedouin settlements, a roundtable with activists and decision-makers, and visit to the multi-purpose community center in the state-recognized village of Umm Batin, part of the Al-Qasoum Regional Council.
Participants included Efrat Rosen Zaken, CEO of Siraj NGO; Fatma Abu Assa, Program Manager at Siraj NGO; Prof. Jihad El Sana from the Department of Computer Science at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Huda Abu Obaid, Advocacy Coordinator at the Negev Coexistence Forum; Hanadee Abo Asbe, Director of Arab Society Programs at Unistream; Mohammed Abu Rabaiya, Community Department Director for the Al-Qasoum Regional Council; Kher Elbaz, Chairman of AJEEC-NISPED; Dr. Yasser Elamour from the Kuseife Welfare Department; Yoram Hacohen, CEO of the Israel Internet Association; Khaled Alukbi, Technology Leader at ETHER; and Attorney May Alhajoj from the Shatil organization in the Negev.
Forum members and participants explored the unique barriers Bedouin communities in the Negev face regarding internet accessibility.
The tour began in Umm Batin, a village recognized by the state nearly 20 years ago, where only one cell tower lies within its boundaries, leaving most of the settlement with hardly any cellular service. Even at the community center and the adjacent school, internet access is scarce, with most cellular networks unavailable in the area. In discussions with Al-Qasoum Regional Council representatives, local leaders emphasized that they have been demanding that the Ministry of Communications address these issues for years. The lack of reliable internet severely impacts numerous aspects of residents’ lives, from employment and education to health and public services. The past year has highlighted the impact on personal security, as well, and still no tangible improvements have been made.
As part of the tour, a roundtable was held at the SWITCH Employment Center in Rahat, with the participation of various Negev-based social activists and organizations. ISOC-IL representatives shared comparative data and insights from our recent research study, Quantifying Inclusion & Online Safety: Insights and Data on Internet Use and Digital Literacy in Arab Society in Israel, on digital disparities experienced by Bedouin communities in the Negev and the Arab population in general. The study reveals significant disparities even within Israel’s Arab population, with Bedouin Arab communities experiencing the lowest level of access to the benefits and advantages offered by the internet.
The presentation of the research data, combined with the tour, sparked a rich and thoughtful discussion among social activists, civil society organizations, academics, representatives of local Arab municipalities, and members of the Arab Forum for Digital Inclusion, each eagerly contributing unique perspectives and ideas. This synergy culminated in a unified operational vision for addressing the digital disadvantages faced by the Negev’s Bedouin communities, which we hope will yield positive outcomes in the near future. Meanwhile, the enthusiastic social media responses to the gathering indicate that it has sparked a meaningful shift in the dialogue surrounding this issue, reflecting our collective hope for positive change, and reinforcing our commitment to fostering a more inclusive digital landscape.