MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The march was organized by Arab lawmakers in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. At the end of the march, the participants plan to ask the Knesset, to recognize all 46 Bedouin villages. The country's president Reuven Rivlin was intending to meet the marchers at the end of the event, but will be unable to do so.
The march aims to draw attention to the poor condition of unrecognized Bedouin villages situated in the desert area of Israel. More people are expected to join the march in the next three days, local media reported.
As many as 150,000 Bedouins living in Israel are settled in villages unrecognized by the state and without basic infrastructure. They do not have access to water, electricity or health services.
In 2011, the Israeli government elaborated an economic plan that implied the destruction of the unrecognized villages and the relocation of about 40,000 Bedouins. The government had to give up the plan in 2013 amid violent demonstrations.
