The Double Exclusion of Bedouin War Widows

We critically examine the officially declared policy vis-a-vis the actual fulfilment of minorities' equal rights in Israel. According to the theory of democratic exclusion, minority groups are tacitly disadvantaged despite formal policies and laws aimed at ensuring equality. We showcase this phenomenon in a hitherto unstudied minority sector in Israel, namely Bedouin Israel Defence Forces (idf) war widows. Analysis of in-depth interviews has led us to expose a failure to take the unique religious and cultural imperatives and restrictions into consideration, as well as a paradox of Bedouin war widows' entitlement to equal rights while reporting suffering discrimination, exclusion, and marginalisation. In the name of these silenced Israeli citizens we call this severe violation of civil rights to public awareness and propose some practical suggestions as to how to adjust the provision of treatment and support to their cultural features, in order to truly adhere to the democratic vision.