The Israeli government began implementation of the Prawer-Begin plan, officially known as the Bill on the Arrangement of Bedouin Settlement in the Negev. Bedouins are an indigenous people who live a nomadic life in the Negev Desert which is part of the state of Israel. The Negev does not involve any of the Occupied Territories. The plan seeks to move about 200,000 Bedouins into government approved villages out of the approximately 35 villages in which they currently live. The Israeli government argues that the current living conditions of the Bedouin are unsafe and it wishes to place them in villages that can offer better circumstances. The Bedouin, who are Israeli citizens, argue that their land is being expropriated and that their way of life is threatened. The Israeli government intends to settle Jewish families in the region.
The Negev Desert
Protests have broken out in Ukraine against President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision not to build stronger ties with the European Union. The authorities responded with force to the protests and many people were injured. The protests reflect a long-term discontent with the policies of Yanukovich and the division within Ukraine of those who wish to have closer ties with Russia and those who wish to move closer to the EU.
The 7th day of protests in Thailand saw gunshots and a large number of injured Thais. The protests seek the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of the exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The military has been mobilized, but it seems reluctant to intervene. With the prospect of greater violence, the hand of the military may be forced.
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