Jumping over stones we had just placed in a new garden, my friends and I laughed as we admired our hard work. For a second, I forgot about the fact that I was thousands of miles from my home, in a different country, culture and world from my own.
I had never experienced life with Israeli Bedouins prior to my trip to Segev Shalom in July 2024, a Bedouin village in the south of Israel. I didn’t even know that I had anything in common with them. After my summer spent there, I realized that Bedouin communities in Israel are often neglected by the government and do not get the support they need.
Bedouins are a nomadic, Arab people who live in tribes throughout the Middle East. They have values mainly centered around family structure and hospitality.
There are approximately 300,000 Bedouins in Israel as of 2024, according to CNN. The majority of them live in the Negev, the south of Israel. Though the Bedouins are still a minority, they are considered a significant part of Israeli society.
As American Jews and Zionists, a majority of us care deeply about the state of Israel and its inhabitants. Many of us have family in Israel, have spent time in Israel and pray for the safety of the country daily. But loving Israel means caring about all of its people, including Israeli Bedouin communities. We have a responsibility to understand and engage with them.
Reflecting on my time in the village, it is clear that as American Jews, we must become more educated and engaged with the Bedouin communities of Israel, which is necessary to ensure Israel remains a democracy and advocate for those who need help.
It is also important to learn about Bedouin society in order to advocate for the Bedouins’ living conditions. According to Haaretz, 17% of Bedouins don’t reach 12th grade compared to only 3% of Jewish Israelis. More importantly, 72.9% of Bedouins live under the poverty line, according to the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs.
Engagement with minorities in Israel is the only way to ensure a strong democratic state, with equal representation for all. As Jews, we know what it is like to be the minority, so we have a responsibility to look after the minorities in our own homeland. Engaging with minorities includes both dialogue and advocacy.
On many Israeli teen tours, including the 12th Grade Capstone Trip, there is a day spent riding camels and eating Bedouin food, which is supposed to be an accurate look into Bedouin culture, even though it is not. These trips sometimes include dressing up in Bedouin-like clothing, making these experiences more performative rather than immersive experiences in real Bedouin culture.
For example, not all Bedouins live in tents. According to the Jewish Star, more than 75% of Bedouins live in houses. Bedouins are also not disconnected from the world around them. Many of them carry cellphones and listen to music like most Americans. What may seem like an entirely distinct world is actually very similar to our own, especially through our connection to Israel.
Additionally, while most Jews often only see recognized villages, 120,000 Bedouin communities live in unrecognized villages, according to the Abraham Initiatives. This means that the State of Israel does not recognize these villages as legitimate, and thus they do not provide infrastructure or services for them.
There are a few ways to get involved and become educated. Organizations such as the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality and the Abraham Initiatives work to support and advocate for the Bedouin communities, and also facilitate dialogue between Bedouins, Jews and others around the world.
Education about Bedouin communities is necessary in order to expand our knowledge and support for Israel, ensuring it remains a democracy and an advocate for those who need our help. Our fate and theirs are intertwined, and whatever the future holds for Israel, Bedouins will remain a part of it.
