In a different context and time, it was said that “the greatest inequality is the equal treatment of unequals.” Watching the Home Front Command’s public safety videos urging citizens to follow protection regulations, that statement feels painfully relevant today. 

The instructions — asking the public to “remain in proximity to protected spaces” or to “stay in protected spaces until receiving official clearance” — are delivered in a tone, language, and visual framing that reflect a mainstream Israeli urban reality. Yet for large segments of Arab society, that reality simply does not exist. 

Emergency messaging that assumes universal access to protected spaces — and that does not reflect the lived experience of structurally underserved communities — risks reinforcing not safety, but distance.

Nearly 46 percent of Arab citizens in Israel lack access to a protected space. In 60 percent of Arab municipalities, there are no public shelters at all. Approximately 30 percent of state Arab schools lack adequate protection, compared to 11 percent of Hebrew-speaking and religious Jewish state schools. 

In the unrecognized Bedouin villages of the Negev, the situation is even more acute. Around 100,000 residents live in lightweight, non-reinforced homes without safe rooms or public shelters. Many villages lie near strategic risk zones, including the Ramat Hovav chemical industrial area and the Nevatim Air Force Base. Since October 7th, twelve Bedouin civilians have been killed by rocket fire. This is the reality of which we were starkly reminded in April 2024, when, during Iran’s attack on Israel, the only civilian injured was an eight-year-old Bedouin girl from the Negev, critically wounded near her home.

This gives you a good sense of why, for a significant portion of Israelis, those notifications by Israel’s Home Front Command were laughed at after October 7th, then ignored in the 12-day war with Iran in June 2025, and today, are simply not heard. 

Six months ago, we were told there was time to prepare. Time to map the gaps. Time to fix what everyone already knew was broken. Yet today, as sirens sound across the country, the protection gaps facing Arab citizens remain largely unchanged. But this is not only a southern issue. Cities such as Tamra, Nazareth, and Rahat face severe shelter shortages due to decades of planning barriers and underinvestment. Sirens do not discriminate. Infrastructure does.

Since Saturday, we have again been hearing the regurgitation of recycled, temporary, and largely ineffective solutions such as sandbag fortifications intended to protect from shrapnel and blast waves. Against the missile capabilities of Iran, this is partial protection at best. It is not fully accessible in real time. It is not equitable. And on the ground, it is barely visible. The gaps are not only physical. Emergency communication is often delayed, linguistically inaccessible, or culturally unadapted. Residents are left asking basic questions during life-threatening moments. Where do we go if we have no shelter? How long must we remain indoors? Who can we trust for verified information?

Civil society once again is stepping in. AJEEC and partners have opened partially fortified schools and community centers, established emergency situation rooms, transported elderly residents, translated critical updates, and worked to counter misinformation. This resilience is inspiring. It is also a sign of systemic failure. Youth are bearing a heavy burden. Educational disruptions, lack of protected spaces, psychological stress, and economic instability compound existing vulnerabilities. Without structured support and investment in resilience, we risk long-term social consequences that extend far beyond this war. Within the context of post-October 7th Negev, the huge and very much justified investment in protection in the Gaza border area has led to the expansion of protection gaps in the Negev. 

Bedouin society isn’t idle. Arab citizens in the Negev are not sitting around and waiting for the state to provide solutions. Emergency response teams and village committees have been evacuating children and elderly people to safer spaces under bridges and underpasses. Bedouin paramedics and ambulance drivers are ready to respond to any emergency and volunteer-based organizations such as the Arab Medical Association of the Negev carry life-saving kits and respond to emergencies. 

The State of Israel has a unique opportunity to narrow protection gaps and restore trust with the Bedouin society in the Negev. State investment in narrowing protection gaps and establishing emergency infrastructure can be one significant step towards a shared society and a better future for all of the Negev’s residents. 

Missiles remind us how fragile life is. They should also remind us that resilience cannot be selective. If we want a truly secure and shared future, protection must be universal. Only when safety is shared will our national security have meaning.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)