Israel is comprised of many different contentious groups of people, all with very distinct and differing beliefs. Israeli government and society struggle to balance the ideologies of the religious Israelis, the non-religious Israelis, the Zionists, the anti-Zionists, and the several different groups of Arabs and Israelis who all live in Israel and who are interspersed within the country. One of these distinct groups of Israeli Arabs are the Bedouin people. They are Arabs who are Muslim, and are a semi-nomadic tribe that dwell in semi-permanent houses, and herd sheep requiring grazing land. A large population of the Bedouins in Israel live in the southern Desert region of the country, called the Negev. Although they are both Arab and Muslim, they see themselves as unique, and call themselves the “People of the desert,” and the “original Arabs.” Even through their self-classification, it is evident that the Bedouin also clash with different Muslims, and are not inclusive to people outside their tribe. The distinctions are kept apparent, and that contributes with internal struggles in their community, as well as conflict with Israel’s government, and the people living under their authority.
The Bedouin refuse to accept basic humanistic principles that pervade within Israeli society, and many other western, modernized countries. They live a strictly patriarchal lifestyle, which practices polygamy, female subordination, does not emphasize education, and a large percentage of them live in poverty. Israel has offered them alternatives to their lifestyles, but they are too willing to refuse, not wanting to give up precious land. They believe they have legitimate claims to the land they settle on, and much more of it has been stolen or taken by Jewish landowners. The Bedouin have a very antediluvian lifestyle, and have never paid head to the obligations of a responsible landowner or citizen. The Israeli government requires landowners to register their land and pay taxes, concepts rejected by the Bedouin. They don’t pay taxes, however they are frustrated when there is no electricity, or phone lines in their homes, and that pipes are laid for running water and sewage. The Israeli government has tried to accommodate and help the Bedouin by offering social services and setting up towns and villages with schools and clinics, but the Bedouin are extremely rooted to their way of life and many adamantly refuse these services.
Although Israel seems to be offering a lot to help the Bedouin, the Bedouin have grown increasingly hostile towards Israel, and constantly comment on their feelings of suppression and inferior stature within Israeli society.
How do you speak of reason with people who do not even share core humanistic values expected to be intrinsic in people? It is difficult to compromise and help people who themselves do not want to be helped. Although they believe they have a claim to the land they reside on, the Bedouin have a completely different set of religious and social values that do not translate to egalitarian democratic societies. Rosenthal gives us a perfect example: “Under Bedouin law, relatives of a murdered man can attack any male member of the murderers family, all the way up to a fifth-degree male relative with absolutely no connection to the crime (288).”
Since the Bedouin are condemned to live such a meager and destitute lifestyle, Israel worries about outside influences, which might allure the Bedouins and make them a threat. Israel worries about the appeal of more radical Islamic groups who have the ability to influence and recruit the Bedouins. Poverty is one of the main reasons of these fears, as some Bedouins of the younger generation have become criminals in order to make money. When once there were no problems within Bedouin society in terms of juvenile delinquency, crimes and drug use, it has become more and more rampant recently. “Bedouin men have been caught smuggling prostitutes, arms, and narcotics across the borders with the West Bank, Gaza, and Egypt (288).” Bedouin are not exclusive to Israel, they span across many countries in the Middle East, and are strong in numbers, and many of them practice smuggling through these countries. Israel faces the threat of smuggling from all their borders, and struggle with the surrounding countries that do not impose the law or regulate these Bedouin smugglers. Many Bedouin communities also exist in the Sinai desert, outside of Israel’s jurisdiction, in Egypt.
The article I chose regards those Bedouin who live in the Sinai desert region, which connects Egypt to Israel, and Egypt’s unwillingness to pursue and punish those Bedouins who are smuggling narcotics and ammunition into Gaza and Israel.
I found an article on Strategypage.com, a website that categorizes itself as a website geared towards reporting on Military actions across the globe. They had an article relating to the Bedouin people, and the prevalence of the smuggling across borders, and the unwillingness of the Egyptians government to crack down on these smugglers. The article is entitled “Why Egypt Won't Mess With The Bedouins,” and addresses the political deterrents in why Egypt won implement more stringent laws on smugglers. The article speaks of a Dictatorship disguised as a democracy, and the corruption within the government and police officials that just let the smuggling disseminate. They promise to take action, yet years have passed in between these promises and no actions have been taken. Egypt in careful to tread lightly and not rub anyone the wrong way, especially Hamas and the pro-Palestinians living within Egypt.
The article also discusses that the Bedouin are involved with this smuggling, and deal with Drugs, weapons, and even human trafficking. They are also able to make a lot of money by smuggling basic goods into Gaza that may be scarce. The Bedouin are also not afraid to fight and defend themselves, and it creates a problem for the Egyptian government who do not want to stir up any controversy by snuffing them out by force.
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My concerns in reading the article are that they Bedouin are extremely knowledgeable and talented in their familiarity with the Desert, and their ability to navigate these mountains and landscapes with accuracy. It is easier for them to outwit border control and outsmart any kind of anti-smuggling units. I am also inclined to believe that although Bedouins stick with their tribes, they have connections and relationships with other Bedouin who are spread across many Middle Eastern countries. These relationships, coupled with their astuteness in other areas can make them very good at what they do. Especially when the Bedouin outside of Israel are living autonomously, in countries that don’t enforce laws or have austere attitudes towards illegal activity.
