‘If it’s illegal, we’ll demolish your home’: Ben Gvir defends crackdown on illegal Bedouin construction in Negev

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir defends the government’s campaign against illegal Bedouin construction in the Negev, telling lawmakers that “if it isn’t legal, we’ll demolish your home” and arguing that authorities “must save the Negev.”

Speaking during a meeting of the Knesset Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, Ben Gvir claims he has ended years of lax enforcement, saying, “I’m doing what hadn’t been done for 40 years… They told me we don’t demolish occupied homes because people might get angry. That’s over.”

According to figures presented by the National Security Ministry, demolitions and enforcement actions against illegal construction in the Negev have increased by 81% over the past three years compared with the previous three years, with more than 5,700 demolitions and enforcement orders carried out in 2025.

In a heated argument with Ben Gvir, Yesh Atid MK Yasmin Fridman criticizes the campaign for not providing Bedouin residents with alternatives when their homes are demolished.

“I’m not in favor of illegal construction, but I want them to be given an alternative… Does the Welfare Ministry come by? There are children here. Ultimately, the future of the Negev depends not only on fighting crime but also on shared life, education, infrastructure and employment,” she says.

The government’s stepped-up demolition campaign has drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue that enforcement has outpaced efforts to provide housing and basic services in unrecognized communities.

A January report by the Negev Coexistence Forum’s research center, Nagabiyah, found that only around 35% of Bedouin have access to an in-home shelter and that most Bedouin towns have no shelter at all.

Ben Gvir is also facing criticism over rising crime in the Negev.

An April report by outgoing State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warned that governance had deteriorated in the region – particularly in Bedouin communities – where police stations were short 205 officers as of 2024, contributing to growing crime and widespread protection rackets.

Ben Gvir has argued that stricter enforcement against illegal construction is central to restoring “governance and sovereignty” in the region.