Structure
This political advocacy group was created due to the need of the residents of the unrecognized Bedouin communities to promote their interests within the Israeli political system. Members of these communities belong to no municipalities of their own, and thus cannot elect representatives.
Israel refuses to recognize these localities for several reasons. The main reason is the planning issue - the state would like to see the Bedouin living in the planned settlements, like Rahat and Hura. But most of the unrecognized villages are dispersed far apart and are situated in unsuitable places - f.e. military fire zones, natural reserves, landfills, etc. Nevertheless, in the end the state wants to recognize the maximal possible number of these unrecognized settlements and build infrastructure in them. Another reason is an extremely high number of land ownership claims filed by the Bedouin making it impossible to recognize all of them. Negev Bedouin claim the ownership of land totaling some 600,000 dunams (60,000 hectares or 230 square miles) - it is 12 times the size of Tel Aviv.
In 1997 inhabitants of these localities who felt the need for a representative community-based organization founded the RCUV. Then the 45 participating dispersed localities had a total population of 76,000 inhabitants; these communities range in size from 500 to almost 5,000 residents. The RCUV is supposed to be an elected body, and the residents of each community (village) elect a local committee of 3-7 persons, who become members of the general assembly of the RCUV. The general assembly democratically elects the chairperson and the executive committee once every 4 years. To this day, the RCUV is the only body which seeks to represent the interests of residents of the unrecognized villages.
For a long period of time this organization was not recognized by the state apparently because of its anti-Israel stance - it accuses the state in racism and committing crimes, which cannot be considered as a constructive position. Nevertheless its activities might have influenced the government policies to a certain extent and brought some real problems to the light. Now government seeks to involve the Bedouin in finding an ultimate housing solution for them via recognition of most of these previously unrecognized Bedouin communities in the Negev and offering an appropriate and just resolution of Bedouin land ownership claims.
Read more about this topic: Regional Council Of Unrecognized Villages
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