A member of the Zanoon family walks next to the ruins
of one of the five family houses that were demolished by Israeli authorities,
in the unrecognised Bedouin village of Wadi El-Na'am.
Besides the "usual" problems of an unrecognised village, residents
of Wadi El-Na'am suffer from two further environmental nuisances: the heavy
smells of Bromide and other chemicals carried 24 hours a day to the village
from the industrial area of Ramat Hovav, which causes breathing disorders
and other health problems. And a power station which sends its high voltage
wires above the village. Both nuisances appeared after the village was built.
The natural increase in the Bedouin population is one of the highest in the world (5% annually), yet they are refused permission to expand their villages. The result is illegal house building and a state policy of house demolitions carried out by the Ministry of Interior officers. This has also seen wheat fields planted by Bedouin villagers sprayed with toxic chemicals.
