The Name Controversy: Naqab vs. Negev

Due to the dispute over the land ownership, there are two commonly referred to names for the desert villages, each representing the ownership claim.

Negev:

The State of Israel refers to it as Negev as they claim that the Bedouins did not register their land under the Ottoman Empire or British mandate prior to 1948.

Naqab:

The Bedouins refer to their land as Naqab and argue that under the traditional land claims they rightfully own the land upon which they reside or from which they have been removed.

For more reading see Harvard Kennedy School report by S. Murthy, M. Williams & E. Baskin:  The Human Right to Water in Israel: A Case Study of the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev. Working Paper. January 10, 2011.  

Peace,

-S.B.H.