Private Tour Only
inquiries and reservations
Length: 9 hours
Departing from your hotel
This tour is serious excursion delving deep into the realities of Bedouin life today, and dispelling the romantic myths surrounding this formerly nomadic people. The links and connections between the Negev Bedouin and the West Bank Bedouin will be made clear. They are the same people, with the same struggle for dignity and liberty. Most of the Bedouin fled or were expelled after the 1948 war but today number over 165,000 people living in mostly unrecognized villages without basic services such as electricity, water, schools or health clinics. The Israeli government continues to 'encourage' them to leave their traditional lands through demolishing their homes, sometimes entire villages, poisoning their crops, and expropriating their land for new Jewish farms or communities.
The tour travels south through the West Bank, passing Bethlehem and Hebron. During the bus trip the guide will describe the condition of the Bedouin in the southern West Bank, the major issues they are facing, and the impact of the Israeli occupation on their lives. The tour will stop at a village in the South Hebron Hills, have tea with some villagers, and discuss their situation with the guide translating. Then the bus will continue on Route 60 south to the major checkpoint out of the West Bank to Be’er Sheva in the Negev Desrt.
Once through the checkpoint on the bus, the group will meet the Bedouin guide. During the ride to an unrecognized village the guide will explain the general situation of the Negev Bedouin, and the conditions of siege that they are experiencing. The group will visit an 'unrecognized village' and have lunch and discussion with villagers. Then on to one of the ‘official’ Bedouin reservation townships to see the conditions there and have a discussion with residents.
Participants on this tour should understand that they will be entering a very traditional society and should dress modestly. Be prepared for conditions of poverty that you may have thought existed only in Africa or Asia. The Bedouin live very simple lives, based on family and community, with often one wage earner supporting several dozen people. However direct charity should not be offered. After the tour, if you have been moved to want to assist the development of the Bedouin please contact the administrator who will connect you directly with a Bedouin development organization.
Bedouin Reality Tour - West Bank and Negev Desert
