Southern Part Of Israel Research Articles

Blurring the Borders with Anzaldúa in Context-Informed, Anti-Oppressive Research: The Case of Bedouin Women

Abstract Studies show that context-blind, quasi-universalist professional discourses may engender oppressive social work practices with excluded populations. For example, research confirms that social work with children and families, overtly or covertly embedded in Eurocentric, binary discourse of risk and protection, has played a highly negative role in the history of social work with non-Western populations. Based on Gloria Anzaldúa’s theory of the border, the article proposes context-informed, anti-oppressive social work research as a strategy to deconstruct binary and essentialist social work discourses with marginalized populations. Exemplified by a research project conducted in partnership with thirty-three Bedouin women in the southern part of Israel, the article offers a platform for the examination of the border as a liminal arena in which change took place by blurring theoretical, methodological and practical borders.

Housing Others: Design and Identity in a Bedouin Village

In the 1960s, the Israeli government decided to build towns for the Bedouin population of the Negev, a desert area in the southern part of Israel. These towns have often been interpreted as the outcome of an ill-intentioned history of colonization and expropriation. This article offers a different account of the Negev towns, by examining the first plan for a Bedouin settlement commissioned by the government in 1960 that was never built. The outcome of a collaboration between an Israeli Palestinian architect and a Jewish dilettante, the plan aimed at preserving what the two imagined to be a Bedouin identity at risk of being lost through the process of modernization. It thus modified modernist design principles so they would rehabilitate that identity. This article examines the conception and the reception of the plan. It argues that for the architects, the challenge of housing the Negev Bedouin was not a matter of expropriation, nor was it necessarily about accounting for the actual needs of the Bedouin; rather, the architects saw the commission as an opportunity to develop a counter-voice to high-modernism and to the state’s project of blanket modernization.

Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency and Lynch syndrome among consecutive Arab Bedouins with colorectal cancer in Israel.

We assessed the molecular characteristics and the frequency of mutations in mismatch-repair genes among Bedouin patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Israel. Bedouin patients with a diagnosis of CRC at a major hospital in the southern part of Israel were deemed eligible for this study. The primary screening method was immunohistochemical staining for mismatch-repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2). For subjects with abnormal immunohistochemical staining, we performed microsatellite instability (MSI) analyses, and for tumors with a loss of MLH1 expression we also performed BRAF testing. In MSI high cases we searched further for germline mutations. Of the 24 patients enrolled, four subjects (16.7%) had MSI high tumors: one subject was found to harbor a biallelic PMS2 mutation, one subject had Lynch syndrome (LS) with MSH6 mutation and two subjects had a loss of MLH1/PMS2 proteins/BRAF wild type/normal MLH1 sequence. Ten patients (41.7%) were younger than 50 at the time of diagnosis and none had first degree relatives with CRC. In conclusion, in this cohort of 24 consecutive Arab Bedouins with CRC, one patient was found to harbor a constitutional mismatch repair deficiency, one patient had LS with MSH6 mutation, and two patients had unresolved loss of MLH1/PMS2 proteins/BRAF wild type phenotype.

Increase in dust storm related PM10 concentrations: A time series analysis of 2001–2015

Over the last decades, changes in dust storms characteristics have been observed in different parts of the world. The changing frequency of dust storms in the southeastern Mediterranean has led to growing concern regarding atmospheric PM10 levels. A classic time series additive model was used in order to describe and evaluate the changes in PM10 concentrations during dust storm days in different cities in Israel, which is located at the margins of the global dust belt. The analysis revealed variations in the number of dust events and PM10 concentrations during 2001–2015. A significant increase in PM10 concentrations was identified since 2009 in the arid city of Beer Sheva, southern Israel. Average PM10 concentrations during dust days before 2009 were 406, 312, and 364 μg m−3 (median 337, 269,302) for Beer Sheva, Rehovot (central Israel) and Modi'in (eastern Israel), respectively. After 2009 the average concentrations in these cities during dust storms were 536, 466, and 428 μg m−3 (median 382, 335, 338), respectively. Regression analysis revealed associations between PM10 variations and seasonality, wind speed, as well as relative humidity. The trends and periodicity are stronger in the southern part of Israel, where higher PM10 concentrations are found. Since 2009 dust events became more extreme with much higher daily and hourly levels. The findings demonstrate that in the arid area variations of dust storms can be quantified easier through PM10 levels over a relatively short time scale of several years.

Formation of soil–water repellency in olive orchards and its influence on infiltration pattern

Water-repellent (hydrophobic) soils do not wet instantaneously, but only after some time (a few seconds to hours) of soil-particle contact with water. Some plant species can render soils hydrophobic but in this respect, olive trees have scarcely been examined. Measurements of water repellency in olive orchards of different ages in different locations in Israel using the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test have shown that soils tend to become hydrophobic, regardless of texture and structure. A comprehensive study was then performed for an irrigated young and mature olive grove and nearby uncultivated bare soil in the southern part of Israel. The study included intensive WDPT measurements, initial (repellency intensity) and rate of decrease (repellency persistence) for sessile drops placed on the soil surface, cumulative infiltration using tension disc infiltrometer, and monitoring flow in a transparent flow chamber packed with soils from the different plots. The soil from the mature olive plot was noticeably more water repellent than the young plot's soil, and both differed from the uncultivated soil that was fully wettable. The contact angle of a drop placed on the surface of a single layer of soil particles decreased exponentially with time, with a lower decay rate for the mature orchard soil. Cumulative infiltration had a convex pattern for wettable soils and a concave pattern for water-repellent ones. The difference in infiltration pattern was attributed to water/pressure buildup behind the wetting front as a result of the dynamic contact-angle-induced pore resistivity to wetting. The supplemental pressure, also known as dynamic water-entry pressure, increases the infiltration rate beyond that obtained by the capillary pressure per se. The significant correlation between soil sorptivity and the asymptotic infiltration rate, both calculated from the cumulative infiltration curves, and the WDPT substantiates the dependence of pressure overshoot and the rate at which the contact angle decreases prior to pore wetting. The considerable differences in plume shape, size, and internal saturation distribution between the wettable and water-repellent soils, indicating unstable flow in the latter, were also explained by the wettability-dependent water-entry pressure. The outcome of this study indirectly supports the findings that higher surface runoff and erosion are associated with no-till farming in olive orchards, due to the combination of no-till cropping and the near-surface accumulation of hydrophobic organic carbon compounds.

Seasonal variation in placental abruption

Objective: To characterize seasonal patterns of placental abruption among Jewish and Bedouin parturients in the Southern part of Israel. Methods: A retrospective population-based study comparing all singleton pregnancies of patients with and without placental abruption was conducted. Deliveries occurred between the years 1988 and 2010. A ‘classical’ model of time series was used, allowing to assess trend and periodic patterns of placental abruption. Results: During the study period, 241,408 deliveries took place, of which 1685 (0.7%) were complicated with placental abruption. Placental abruption was significantly more common among Bedouin parturients: 0.77% (n = 948) vs. 0.623% (n = 737), p < 0.001. A non-linear negative correlation was noted in the incidence of placental abruption (coefficient = −0.002) during the entire study period. Time series analysis demonstrated annual cycle frequency, seasonal cycle and weekly cycle of placental abruption. The seasonal incidence of placental abruption was higher during spring (B = 7.15) and lower during summer (reference) for both populations (Jewish and Bedouins). Weekly cycle showed significantly higher incidence on Saturday (B = 3.4) and lowest on Tuesday (B = −4.66) for both groups. The daily differences were accentuated in the Bedouin population (B = 3.7 vs. B = 2.93 in the Jewish population). Conclusion: Placental abruption was significantly more common in the Bedouin population. Both populations demonstrated the same annual and seasonal patterns, with higher incidence in spring and autumn.

Epidemiological characteristics of febrile seizures—Comparing between Bedouin and Jews in the Southern part of Israel

Febrile seizures are the most common convulsive disorder in young children. Reviewing worldwide literature, one can see that seizures characteristics and source of fever are greatly varied. To evaluate whether febrile seizures are associated with different features in Bedouin and Jewish children. Retrospective data from 374 files children diagnosed with febrile convulsions during 1989-1991 was analyzed. The children aged 3 months to 7 years comprised 261 Jews and 113 Bedouins. Data was taken from admission files and follow-up notes. Febrile convulsions were diagnosed before the age of 2 in 75% and 81.4% of the Jewish and Bedouin children, respectively. Simple seizure was found among 80.4% and 72.2% of the Jewish and Bedouin groups, respectively. Complex seizure was found among 19.6% and 28.8% of the Jewish and Bedouin groups, respectively. 18.4% of the Jews and 17.8% of the Bedouin experienced more than one febrile convulsion. The most common diagnosis between the two groups by the time of the febrile seizure was otitis media however pneumonia was diagnosed in 15% of the Bedouins and only 3.8% of the Jews (P<0.005). Then again 19.1% of the Jewish population was found to suffer from upper respiratory tract infections, as opposed to 9.7% of the Bedouin (P<0.05). The two groups were similar in some aspects (gender, age and type of seizures) nevertheless there were differences concerning the source of fever. Further studies are needed to find whether these differences are related to demographic, genetic or other factors.

Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex

The study was initiated by public concern about exposure to an industrial park (IP) emission. The study examined whether mortality in the Bedouin population in the southern part of Israel is associated with the residential distance to the IP. Ecological study during 1995-2001 included the entire Bedouin population. Mortality data was obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics. As an indirect measurement of exposure we used residential distance to the IP (with 20 km radius as a cut-of-point) based on residents' complaints about odor related to the IP. Differences in mortality rates by distance were assessed by the Mantel-Haenszel relative risk (M-H RR) within the 95% CI. The country Arab population served as a reference for calculation of the age-adjusted standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Increased mortality rates due to symptoms/ill-defined conditions and non-external causes were observed in the Bedouin population of both sexes, residing up to 20 km from the IP, compared to those living in more remote areas. Corresponding M-H RR (plus 95% CI) were 1.66 (1.17-2.36), 1.24 (1.06-1.44) in females, and 1.55 (1.15-2.10), 1.32 (1.15-1.52) in males. The study results suggest an association between residential proximity to the regional IP and increased mortality rates in the Negev Bedouin population. These findings have been accepted by the authorities as an issue for community health protection.

Intercultural differences and role perceptions of Israeli Arab and Israeli Bedouin teachers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess to what extent social groups maintaining traditional‐collectivistic or modern‐individualistic lifestyles while sharing a similar nationality ethnicity and cultural origin, may be differentiated on the basis of their professional job perceptions and attitudes.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were administered to 323 Bedouin teachers who live in the southern part of Israel while maintaining a rather traditional way of life and to 232 Arab teachers who live in modern towns where Arabs and Jews coexist.FindingsThe results show that Bedouin teachers exhibit a higher degree of compliance and loyalty to the leader and are more conservative and emotional in comparison to Israeli Arab teachers. These results testify to the strong relationship existing between values and norms accumulated during ethnic socialization processes and individual role perceptions especially when individuals' lifestyles correspond to these values.Originality/valueIn considering the framing influence that ethnic socialization has on individual work perceptions, it is argued that ethnic considerations should be taken into account in multicultural contexts and that some facilitating mechanisms should be established in order to increase tolerance for ethnical diversity and understanding among individuals coming from different ethnic groups.

Childhood Injury Prevention: Intervention in the Bedouin City of Rahat

For several years, the National Center for Children's Health and Safety (Beterem) has worked on many levels to promote safety and prevent injury of the children in Israel. As part of intervention programs in 20 communities around Israel, this paper describes a 1-year, multidisciplinary, multistrategic childhood safety promotion and injury prevention project. The project took place in the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Southern part of Israel, the Negev, conducted by a local safety coordinator. This specific intervention study took place from March 2003 to March 2004. The main goal was to identify hazards and dangerous obstacles in public places in Rahat, then remove or repair the obstacles found, in order to secure a safe public environment for children. “Obstacle” was defined as any barrier that could endanger the safety of a child. Ten examples are used to illustrate this applied research project, and 80% of the problems were solved within the project period (time to solve between 1 week to 3 months, depending on various factors). We recommend the involvement of a safety coordinator from the community to focus on safety hazards for children, the use of a documentation diary to log the time frame, and also the use of pictures to illustrate the hazards and the changes, or to use as arguments in the lobbying process.

Atmospheric predictors for major floods in the Negev Desert, Israel

AbstractThe study examines the ability of a set of atmospheric variables to predict major floods in the Negev Desert in the southern part of Israel. The two dominant synoptic types, which contributed over 70% of the major floods during 1965–94 in that region, were examined. These are: the active Red Sea trough (ARST), a surface trough along the Red Sea, combined with a pronounced upper trough; and the Syrian low (SL), an intense Mediterranean cyclone centred over Syria.For each synoptic type, a set of atmospheric variables (predictors) was chosen to reflect its unique atmospheric features, and a prediction score was calculated as the ratio between the number of flood‐producing storms and the total number of events in which all the variables exceeded their threshold values.The prediction score for the ARST type is 86%. Moreover, the predictors identify the major flood dates without any ‘false’ date (100%) for 4 of the 5 months in which major floods of this type had occurred. Most of the predictors are found at the 500 hPa level, and the most powerful is the v/u ratio, which represents the southerly wind component and is responsible for the transport of moist tropical air masses (essential for convection) toward the Middle East. The prediction score for the SL type is 73%. The intensity and structure of the surface cyclone are found to be most powerful predictors, although the importance of geopotential height at 500 hPa indicates that these types of flood depend on the combined effect of several factors.Transforming these remarkably high scores into a high‐skill operational forecast of major floods in the Negev requires reliable forecast models to supply the desired variables with reasonable accuracy. It seems that the current operational models, together with our derived predictors, have the potential to yield a successful forecast of major floods 2 days in advance. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society

A mid-winter, tropical extreme flood-producing storm in southern Israel: Synoptic scale analysis

An exceptional rainstorm affected the Negev Desert, the southern part of Israel, during 20–23 December 1993 as a result of an active Red Sea trough (ARST). The latter refers to a low pressure trough that extends from eastern Africa northward, along the Red Sea, accompanied by an upper-level cyclonic system. Rainfall totals in certain parts exceeded December averages by a factor of 5. Major precipitating systems had a typical Meso-scale Convective System structure accompanied by showers, with peak intensities of 60–80 mm h−1, and by hail and flash floods, resulting in loss of life and heavy damage.

Nondirectiveness and its lay interpretations: the effect of counseling style, ethnicity and culture on attitudes towards genetic counseling among Jewish and Bedouin respondents in Israel.

To evaluate the effects of ethnicity, culture, and counseling style on the interpretation of nondirectiveness in genetic counseling, a questionnaire containing premarital and prenatal case vignettes in two versions (pessimistic/optimistic) was administered to 281 Jewish and 133 Bedouin respondents. The first study population was comprised of Jewish students enrolled in a university and a community college in the Negev (southern part of Israel). The second study population was comprised of Muslim-Bedouin college students from the same area. The majority of Jewish respondents interpreted the nondirective message as intended by counselors, while the majority of Bedouin respondents did not. Counseling style was found to have a statistically significant effect on the interpretation of the general role of counseling. Gender and susceptibility were not found to have a significant effect on interpretation. Group differences are analyzed through a cultural lens in which different interpretive norms can generate expectations for either nondirectiveness or directiveness.

Between Acculturation and Ambivalence: Knowledge of Genetics and Attitudes towards Genetic Testing in a Consanguineous Bedouin Community

The Bedouins of the Negev (Southern part of Israel) are a community at increased risk for genetic diseases and congenital anomalies as a result of frequent consanguinity (particularly patrilateral parallel-cousin marriage) and underutilization of prenatal genetic tests due to a Muslim ban on abortion. Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Bedouin schoolchildren and their teachers towards a community-based, premarital carrier-matching program aimed at reducing the prevalence at birth of genetic diseases. Methods: A questionnaire was presented to 61 teachers and 40 schoolchildren as part of guided interaction in small groups, conducted in Bedouin schools between 1999 and 2001. Results: Susceptibility as well as knowledge of genetics were found to correlate with a positive attitude towards the genetics program among both teachers and pupils. However, pupils had a lower knowledge index as compared to teachers, and their attitudes were slightly less positive. Conclusion: The difference between teachers and pupils is discussed in the context of the latter’s acculturation, which contradicts tradition and parental authority and can generate ambivalence. Attitudes are further discussed in the context of the Health Belief Model and the complex interplay of tradition, Islam, cousin marriage and biomedicine.

The Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Aging (CMRA) at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel

The Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Aging (CMRA) was established at Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer Sheva in 2000, to promote research in the different disciplines of gerontology and geriatrics. It benefits from the special features of that university compared to other academic institutions in Israel and from the regional uniqueness of its location, in the southern part of Israel. CMRA serves as a comprehensive outreach unit for collaborative projects, as well as training programs and organization of professional meetings on aging.

The potential association between blastocyst transfer and monozygotic twinning

The potential association between blastocyst transfer and monozygotic twinning

Investigating the characteristics of business hospitality demand in the southern part of Israel

Business travel is among the fastest‐growing segments of the travel and tourism industry. This paper reports on a market research of business travel demand for hospitality services in the southern part of Israel (the Negev) with a specific focus on Beer‐Sheva, the largest city in the Negev region. The analysis reveals that three major consumption patterns of business hospitality demand can be identified. The first consumption pattern includes companies that elect to use the hotels in Beer‐Sheva. The second consumption pattern includes all the organizations that use hotels in the Negev areas such as the Red Sea and Dead Sea, but not in Beer‐Sheva. The third consumption pattern includes all the organizations that elect to use hotels not located in the Negev. The findings suggest that business organizations in the Negev area generate a demand for business hospitality that exceeds 9,000 nights/year. However, at present, the majority of these nights are not being hosted in the largest city in the Negev — Beer‐Sheva. Recommendations and considerations for future research are offered in an effort to explain the behavior of business travelers and to improve the competitive standing of hotels in Beer‐Sheva among business travelers.

Land Surface–Induced Regional Climate Change in Southern Israel

Since the mid-1960s, the southern part of Israel has experienced major land use changes following the start of the irrigation scheme and the subsequent intensification of agricultural practice. Several studies, mainly based on the analysis of climatic time series, have shown that this has been followed by a significant change of the local climate, especially during the summer and early fall. They indicate a reduced diurnal amplitude of surface air temperature and wind speed, and a threefold increase of the October (early wet season) convective precipitation. In this paper, these phenomena are investigated by simulating the influence of the land surface on local meteorological variables with a two-dimensional version of a mesoscale atmospheric model containing a detailed land surface scheme. Particular attention is given to the correct estimation of land surface parameters from soil and vegetation maps and remote sensing data. The simulations confirm the observed reduction of the diurnal amplitude of temperature and wind speed when replacing a semiarid surface by a partly irrigated one. Furthermore, it is shown that the potential for moist convection increases with the surface moisture availability and is rather insensitive to the surface roughness.

Are we making an impact? A review of a burn prevention program in Israeli schools.

In an attempt to challenge the immense toll of burn and scald injuries among children in Israel, a structured educational program was developed by our university center for plastic surgery in Beer-Sheva. Since 1986, more than 250,000 children and 10,000 teachers, in more than 460 elementary schools nationwide, have been exposed to our program. This article reviews the design of the program, the implementation procedures, and the studies evaluating its effectiveness. The studies revealed significant improvements in children's risk-related knowledge and injury-control beliefs. Both teachers and principals assessed the program as important, and the in-training workshops and intervention activities won high approval. An overall trend of reduction in the number of patients hospitalized with burn injuries in the southern part of Israel was found also. Although it is clear that the project is instructive, further comprehensive efforts are needed to make a dramatic nationwide impact. Some of the efforts already underway target the most vulnerable group of the non-Jewish population in Israel.

Association of the Epstein-Barr virus with Hodgkin's disease in Southern Israel.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been frequently documented in the putative neoplastic Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, in lymph nodes from patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). This association varies in different geographic areas and between industrialized and developing countries, as does the epidemiological pattern of the disease. In the present study of 106 cases of HD from the Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, which serves as the only hospital for most of the southern part of Israel, we found an association with EBV expression in only 30% of the patients; 45% of mixed cellularity (MC) cases compared with 21% of nodular sclerosis (NS) cases were positive for EBV. The number of patients in the 0-14-year-old age group was limited; however, 8 of these II children were EBV positive. This low association rate of HD with the presence of EBV sequences is probably related to the small number of children in our series. A low proportion of EBV-associated disease in older adults may be contributory. Other factors may be involved.