The Bedouin are Arab Muslims with a nomadic heritage, traditionally herding goats, sheep and camels across the deserts of the Middle East. In Israel there are roughly 300,000 Bedouin, most of them in the Negev in the south and a smaller, older community in the Galilee in the north.
Life has changed enormously in a few generations. Most Bedouin no longer move with their herds; many live in towns such as Rahat, now one of the largest Bedouin cities in the world, while others live in villages, some of which are not officially recognised by the state. Questions of land, planning and services are a real and ongoing issue, and you will hear different views on them depending on who you ask.
What has not changed is the culture of hospitality. A guest in a Bedouin tent is offered coffee before anything else, roasted, ground with a mortar and flavoured with cardamom, poured in small cups. Custom says you drink at least one and gently shake the cup when you have had enough. Sweet tea with sage or mint usually follows, and often a meal of rice, meat and fresh pita baked on a domed metal plate over the fire.
Bedouin in the Galilee have a distinct story. Many serve in the Israeli army, especially as trackers, a role that has made some families well known for generations. Women are increasingly leading change too, with growing numbers in higher education and running their own small businesses, from embroidery to guest houses.
The best way to meet Bedouin culture is through a family-run hospitality tent, often on a Negev desert day or combined with Masada and the Dead Sea. Contact us and we will add a coffee stop, or a whole evening, to your route.