A trip to the south of Israel can be disastrous when a camel jumps suddenly into the road. Last Thursday night, another Israeli lost his life because of camels that wandered into the road. INNTV speaks with Attorney Idan Abuhav, an activist against illegal activity in southern Israel.
Can't see video? Click here
Atty. Abuhav explains that the camels in the south are considered by the Bedouins as a status symbol, and they aren’t really used. “They aren’t used for transporting people or goods, except for smuggling, and most of the camels wander around. The camels cross the road to graze in the field,” he said.
“The Bedouins are irresponsible - they refuse to take the camels and leash them,” says Abuhav. “This is the thirteenth person killed. But the media hasn’t done much reporting about this issue. Not all the accidents lead to fatalities, often the passengers are only wounded, and these stories the media doesn’t report. In the end we are all in danger, not only the communities in the south.”
Atty. Abuhava has attempted to convince a representative of the Bedouin community in the Knesset, MK Talab Al-Sana: “We tried to talk with him about an educational campaign, not only to punish the perpetrators. But I couldn’t get an answer from him.”
The government built a guard wall to prevent camels from entering the road, but thefts of the guard rails by Bedouins who sell the metal has negated this action.
“In the south of the country, the government is afraid to fight with the Bedouin,” claims Abuhav. “Usually, when they do want to punish them, the Bedouin respond with violence against the officers responsible for enforcing law. These officers are afraid for their lives.”