A unique phenomenon for the Negev is the presence of erosion craters on its territory. These craters, sometimes called 'makhteshim', are oval depressions with relatively flat vertical edges. Among such craters there are very large ones, reaching depths of up to 300 meters. The reason for their formation was that over time, underground flows essentially dried out the lower layers of rocks. These layers simply collapsed at some point, forming such a funnel.
The territory of the Negev is very rich in natural terms: there is a fairly large diversity of fauna. Some animal species live exclusively in this region of the country. The Negev itself is essentially a dried-up desert. An all-Israeli water pipeline has now been laid to its northern part, which has solved the water supply problem and also favorably influenced the development of agriculture.
Many Israeli agricultural settlements are located in the Negev, as well as some large and medium-sized cities. The northern part of the region is known for its forests, which are considered the largest in Israel. It is worth noting that all these forests were created artificially. Since 1964, nature lovers have been systematically planting trees. Now the initiators of this idea have the opportunity to see the result of their work.
For a long time, a large number of Bedouin settlements could be seen in the desert, but in 2011 the Israeli government adopted the so-called 'Prawer-Begin plan'. According to this plan, all Bedouin settlements on the specified territory were to be demolished, the Bedouins themselves were to be evicted, and new Jewish settlements with kosher mezuzahs were to appear in their place. The project was under consideration for two years, and finally, in 2013, the country's parliament passed a corresponding bill, according to which the 40,000 Bedouins living in the Negev would be evicted from their usual places of residence, and on this site it is planned to create Jewish settlements.
Source – 'Red Thread'.
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