“Whole communities are unprotected — join the campaign to make sure they’re safe.”
Standing Together is campaigning to improve bomb shelter facilities in Bedouin communities in the Negev/Naqab.
While many in Israel run to safe rooms and underground bomb shelters when they hear sirens, many others have nowhere to go. For Bedouin living in unrecognized villages in the Negev/Naqab in the south, not only do Israel’s air defense systems bypass them, but they have no safe rooms or protected spaces. Many have had their homes demolished by Israel.
In this difficult time, we need solidarity and action. That’s why we’re launching an urgent campaign to purchase mobile bomb shelters for Bedouin villages in the Negev/Naqab. This is a critical moment, and every donation helps us move closer to our goal of saving as many lives as possible.
Tens of thousands of people are living without recognition by the state. Without safe homes, roads or schools, in addition to lack of shelter. It’s unbearable – but it’s not an accident. Decades upon decades of racist policy and systemic neglect have left whole communities vulnerable across Israel’s south.
The cost of a basic bomb shelter is around 60,000 shekels (about $16,000). Help us raise the funds needed to purchase and place them in Bedouin villages and communities throughout the Negev/Naqab. When our leaders neglect to keep us safe, we step in – not just to provide emergency protection but also to increase public awareness and support for the needs of every single person living on this land. We all deserve better.
Over the past few days we’ve visited unprotected areas of southern Israel to bring water, food, emergency supplies and toys for children, as well as to be a listening ear. We know that our solidarity with one another is always important, but it’s indispensable in times of crisis.
But Bedouin need more than solidarity right now – they need the government to act. So that’s why we’re petitioning our government and demanding that it install shelters across southern Israel. And in the meantime, we’ll raise the funds to place protection in as many places as possible ourselves.