National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir addressed today (Wednesday) at the MUNI EXPO 2026 local government conference the planned huge protest by the Bedouins in the Negev, due to the demolition of illegal structures - and declared that the enforcement policy will continue and be expanded.
Ben Gvir said about illegal construction in the Negev: "When I came, no one took care of it. In the last year alone, we demolished 5,700 illegal homes.".
Referring to reports that families whose homes were destroyed have moved to live in a school, the minister said: "I was told today that I am being threatened. The Bedouins who had their homes destroyed have taken over and are sleeping in a school in Arad. They are there because they say: 'Ben Gvir is destroying our homes.'".
The minister made it clear that he has no intention of changing the enforcement policy. "So I tell them: prepare many more schools throughout the Negev, because I'm going to destroy more and more and more for them.".
He emphasized that the fight is directed against construction violations and not against the Bedouin public: "Anyone who builds legally - welcome and welcome. Anyone who builds normatively - I will embrace him. But, anyone who builds illegally, there is no reason for a citizen to build within two days. They will come and demolish him, and in the Bedouin diaspora there were those who were not touched.".
