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The monument for Beduin soldiers who have given their
lives for the country is located In the Alonim Reserve,
also known as the Rish Lakish National Park, near Route
77 at the Beduin Fighter Junction near the Beit Natofa reservoir. The monument, a site for reflection and contemplation, commemorates the Beduin fighters who have fallen defending the State of Israel. Until the monument was erected, no memorial services had been conducted In honor of the memory of the many fallen Beduin soldiers.
The monument was unveiled in a ceremony attended by former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Since the monument was first unveiled in 1993, memorial ceremonies have been held by the landmark. In 1996, the statue was declared a national monument and the annual memorial ceremony was recognized as a national event. The monument was built by Yad Lebamm, an organization dedicated to honoring the memory of all those who have fallen in duty, which has also set up a branch in the Beduin community to organize memorial events and care for the bereaved families.
The blood covenant between the Beduins and the State of Israel has its roots in pre-state times - the Beduins were instrumental in the establishment of the yew State. The Beduin fighters operated behind enemy lines, mostly on reconnaissance and intelligence missions. Joint Jewish-Beduin efforts increased during the Yiftach and Matateh Operations, aimed at eliminating enemy presence in the Upper Galilee. The daily report from the Yiftach Operation on May 27, 1948 states, "Last night at midnight our Beduin unit, after crossing the Jordan River, attacked and surrounded the Syrian forces.After an extended battle, the enemy fled and enemy possessions were secured. No harm came to our fighters or their weapons." Yigal Alon, Palmach commander in the Upper Galilee, discovered the merits of the Beduin fighters and encouraged them to enlist. During the early '50's, dozens of Beduins, particularly from the north, served in the security forces. In 1957, the Snaked Reconnaissance Unit was set up. Kibbutzniks served side by side with Beduin soldiers to prevent enemy infiltration from the Sinai. Fourteen of the illustrious unit's Beduin fighters lost their lives while serving their country. Beduin commander Lieutenant Colonel Abed Elmajid Hadad Mharib, also known as Lieutenant Colonel Amos Yarkony commanded the special unit for many years.
After the Six Day War, the IDF and the Border Police needed a greater number of Beduins, especially for regular security missions and tracking and pursuing infiltrators. The Beduin soldiers contributed greatly tothe demise of dozens of bands of terrorists in the Jordan Valley. In the mid '70's, Beduins began volunteering for mandatory service, but the IDF was not yet ready to take this step, and most volunteers were not recruited. In the early '80's, more Beduins-_volunteered and were enlisted into regular military service in the paratroopers, Golani, the Armor forces and other divisions in the security forces. In 1986, Major General of the Southern Forces Moshe Bar Kochva set up the Desert Reconnaissance Unit to capture infiltrators and smugglers from Egypt. In August 1993, Major General of the Southern Forces Matan Vilnai promoted the status of the unit to a reconnaissance regiment. The reconnaissance regiment, comprised chiefly of Beduin soldiers and commanders from the north and south of the country, is responsible for regular security operations In the Gaza region and on the Egyptian border. Today, the Beduin soldiers and commanders keep a watchful eye on the country. They search the tracking paths along of the country's borders and successfully lead the IDF forces to their missions.
Saidi Ziad, Chairman
Yad Lebanim The Center for the Commemoration of Fallen Beduin Soldiers
