Formulating a Land Ownership Compromise with the Negev Bedouin in the 1970s

Abstract

This article looks at the Albeck Commission Report, a milestone in the unresolved land dispute between the State of Israel and thousands of Bedouin citizens in the Negev. The author focuses on the government initiative of the 1970s forsettling the dispute by means of an ingenious, voluntary compromise. Essentially, Israel was willing to offer the Bedouin financial and land compensation but would not formally recognize Bedouin possession, and the Bedouin claimants would not be required to prove their ownership in the courts. The article describes the Albeck Report’s background, principles, implementation and implications. The author refutes the charge that Israeli policy was motivated by the desire to deprive the Bedouin of their land rights. Instead, she explains the nature of Bedouin society and the shortcomings in Israeli law when up against Bedouin tradition.