An ad heard last week on Voice of Israel Radio described the plight of Bedouin Arabs living in unrecognized villages, and called upon the government to grant them official recognition. No mention was made of the loss of government-owned land to the creeping expansion of the Bedouin villages.
A citizen named Moshe Goldberg heard the ad, noticed that its sponsor was not named, and contacted the media watchdog organization Israel Media Watch (IMW). He asked if, in light of past experience, Voice of Israel Radio would be likely to air similar ads calling for recognition of Jewish unauthorized outposts in Judea and Samaria. Goldberg also wanted to know if the lack of a sponsor's identification was acceptable.
The Complaint Worked
In response to IMW's queries, Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Ombudsman Elisha Shpiegelman responded as follows: "I have checked into the matter and have concluded that the ad in question does not fulfill the requirements set by the IBA. The Director-General of the IBA has instructed that the ad no longer be aired."
IMW head Nili Ben-Gigi told Arutz-7's Shimon Cohen that in September 2006, the IBA banned an ad calling on the public to take part in rallies demanding a public inquiry into the Second Lebanon War. Several months earlier, an ad against the Shafdan (Waste Purification Facility) in Rishon LeTzion was disqualified. Both ads were taken off because of their apparent controversial nature.
"We are pleased with this latest decision," Ben-Gigi said. "We believe in openness and pluralism in ads, but if ads are disqualified for every fraction of ideology, consistency must be maintained."
An ad calling on the public to place gold ribbons on their car and otherwise show solidarity with a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty is currently running on Voice of Israel.
Bedouin Background
The Bedouin population in the Negev, which is one of the fastest-growing in the world, represents an acute demographic problem for the State of Israel. Partially due to widespread polygamy, the annual rate of growth is 5.5%, leading to a doubling of the population every 15 years. The total number of Bedouin in the Negev is currently 162,000, according to police statistics, of 25% of the area's entire population. 94,000 reside in permanent towns, and the other 68,000 live in unrecognized encampments. Nearly two-thirds of the population is under 19 years of age, such that 70% are supported by the other 30% - a comparatively high ratio.