Under the scorching sun of the Negev desert, Israel is playing a decisive part in its energy transition. With ambitious goals and one of the best sunshine rates in the world, the region has become the heart of a true energy gold rush. Everywhere, fields of photovoltaic panels, solar concentration towers, and infrastructure projects are rising to power the national grid. But behind this appealing image, tensions are multiplying. Bedouin communities denounce a new dispossession of their lands, and ecologists warn of the damage to fragile biodiversity. As for landscape lovers, they worry about the unique beauty of the desert being sacrificed.
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The overheated Negev: the rise of solar crystallizes tensions
Caroline Haïat - 22-med - September 17, 2025
Negev, Israel, Jaljulia, Abu Qrenat, West Bank, Fareed Mahameed, Miri Lavi-Neeman.
#energy #solar #bedouin #biodiversity #Israel #transition
Between hopes for green independence and land tensions, Bedouin communities are seeking their place.
The situation in the Negev reflects a global dilemma: how to reconcile energy transition with environmental and social justice? For Israel, several avenues are emerging, such as prioritizing the installation of panels on rooftops, parking lots, or industrial wastelands. Alternatively, developing agrivoltaics in pastoral areas, integrating Bedouin communities from the planning phase, and imposing strict ecological monitoring to protect sensitive species.
Between solar promises and social fractures
“Israel should take inspiration from the German example and massively subsidize the production and installation of solar panels for all, whether they are Jewish, Arab, or Bedouin communities. Germany is one of the countries in the world with the highest domestic solar energy production per capita,” explains Fareed Mahameed, Deputy Director of the Transboundary Water Management Center at the Arava Institute. The specialist continues his argument: “In contrast, Israel, while the Negev desert enjoys exceptional sunshine, remains at the bottom of the global ranking. This makes no sense, and it is due to a lack of political will and economic incentives. Yet, the example of the solar water heater, imposed by a visionary public policy and adopted everywhere, including in the West Bank, proves that such a measure is possible and effective.”
Is biodiversity sacrificed on the altar of solar energy?
In a context marked by successive crises and a weakening of the state, it becomes essential to restore a share of sovereignty to citizens by allowing them to produce and manage their energy directly.
Jaljulia, an Arab city in the center of the country, offers a particularly promising system. Thanks to the active collaboration of its mayor and the municipal director general, the city has undertaken to cover all its public buildings with solar panels. As a result: Jaljulia now has an annual surplus of about one to one and a half million shekels (about 380,000 euros), which the municipality can freely reinvest in its projects. Moreover, schools are expected to become true solar power plants: not only covering their own energy needs but also generating a surplus to fund educational activities. In this vein, several organizations are mobilizing to structure and expand access to energy, such as Shamsona, where Fareed works.
Farming while producing energy
Shamsona works to legally install panels in public institutions—schools, daycare centers—to ensure access to electricity recognized by the state; but also to negotiate agreements allowing Bedouins to earn income from constructing solar fields on their lands. Some initiatives are also experimenting with agrivoltaics, combining agriculture and solar panels, to allow small farmers to continue cultivating while producing energy.
However, despite these advances, the Bedouin population is largely excluded from this process. About 200,000 Bedouins live in the Negev desert, often in villages unrecognized by the state. The question of land, never resolved since the creation of Israel, remains at the heart of the conflict. Last May, the NGO Adalah finally took legal action against a plan that, according to them, would facilitate forced relocations of Bedouins, reinforcing the feeling of injustice.
In a context of ongoing land disputes, allowing the establishment of solar fields on these lands would therefore represent a “win-win” solution: the state would advance towards its sustainable development goals, and Bedouin communities could benefit from new economic opportunities, as shown by the model of Abu Qrenat.
Abu Qrenat, a pioneer of solar energy
In this locality, an innovative solar field has been built thanks to land made available by the community. In return, the residents have had job opportunities and received royalties. Most importantly, the state has authorized the creation of a new neighborhood, Abu Qrenat, where solar panels have been installed respecting the hills, conforming to their topography.
“If the first community to achieve solar independence is Bedouin, it is because it was unrecognized and, therefore, not connected to the national grid. Solar energy then emerged as the only solution. But today, a large part of the existing installations still relies on liquid chemical batteries, which are both dangerous and inefficient. It is therefore urgent to subsidize safer and more efficient storage solutions, such as lithium batteries, which would be beneficial for the residents and the state. In Jewish localities, the procedures exist and are simple, which explains the proliferation of solar fields in these areas. In contrast, Bedouin communities face heavy restrictions related to the Israel Land Authority and the authority responsible for regulating Bedouin settlements,” observes Fareed Mahameed.
The solar transition: a silent revolution for Bedouin women
In the absence of an energy network, Bedouin communities have gradually used solar panels, often purchased second-hand or assembled in a makeshift manner.
“This ‘black market for electricity’ has created a form of critical sustainability: residents must constantly calculate their consumption, anticipate the weather, and plan their daily activities according to sunlight and battery capacity. This energy autonomy, even precarious, has transformed daily life. Refrigerators help reduce food-related illnesses. Essential medical devices can now operate at home. Electric lighting extends the work or study day. And phones and computers allow for staying connected,” states Dr. Miri Lavi-Neeman, a member of the political ecology faculty at the Arava Institute.
The most profound impact is felt by women. Access to electricity gives them the ability to manage these tasks more easily, but also to pursue personal projects or study after sunset.
What future for the Negev?
The Negev has become a magnifying glass for contemporary dilemmas. On one side, the energy imperative and the promise of green sovereignty; on the other, the voice of marginalized populations and the fragility of a desert.
“In an ideal scenario, Israel could achieve 30% of electricity production via solar energy within ten years. But, in the current reality, with limited government policy and bureaucratic slowness, the increase will likely be between 5 and 10%. NGOs can play a key role in lobbying, proposing alternative plans that comply with Israeli standards and respect traditional lifestyles, while encouraging the development of pioneering social and energy projects. Investors, for their part, seek guarantees and a favorable environment, particularly a fixed electricity buyback price and a simplified administrative framework,” supports Fareed Mahameed.
Israel is truly at the forefront of research and development related to renewable energies. Ben-Gurion University, specialized research centers, and numerous incubators have allowed for the design of the country's first solar technologies. The strength of the country lies in its ability to invent models and prototypes. But it faces a recurring blockage: the inability to translate these advances into public policies and on a large scale.
Photo of the Day: solar panels in Abu Qrenat © Shlomi Amsalem