The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #149360   Message #3483208
Posted By: Jim Carroll
24-Feb-13 - 08:22 AM
Thread Name: BS: Israel condemned by UN
Subject: RE: BS: Israel condemned by UN
And here's an end to the toxic question - see source of quota
Jim Carroll

Information gathered by Oxfam from Bedouin families in the West Bank last year suggested that selling animals, mostly sheep, can earn a herder as much as £21,000 in a year. The problem is that as their grazing land has diminished, about half of this income is now spent on animal feed. Add to that the costs of trucking in water and paying for fuel for electricity generators, or investing in solar panels, and there is very little cash left over.
Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, says there is understanding between the government and the Bedouins that the situation is untenable. He insists, contrary to what is laid out in the proposed legislation, the Negev herders will be offered a choice to move to a town or rural village.
"The pockets of poverty and neglect in Bedouin communities must end. One [Negev] village is right next to a terrible, polluted dump. No one should be living next to a toxic dump, " Regev says. "The solution is that all Bedouin[s] live in recognised communities where they receive the services they deserve."