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Bedouin"Arab nomads, organized in tribes. The term Bedouin (Arabic: Badawi, pl. Badu), denoting an inhabitant of the desert (Arabic: Badiya), is used chiefly by the settled population. The Bedouin refer to themselves as "Arabs" - and indeed, that term originally meant only, or mainly, the nomadic tribes of the Arabian peninsula. The classical, fully nomadic Bedouin tribe lives in tents and raises camels. It has no fixed, permanent camping place; its wandering and grazing area is more or less firmly established by tradition - but rival tribes have clashed throughout history over disputed wandering areas and grazing and water rights. Bedouin tribes also used to raid trade caravans, often collecting payment for protection. Throughout history Bedouin tribes raided the settled lands in the areas bordering the desert. Whenever the countries concernd were weak, politically and militarily, Bedouin incursions gained control and establish their domination - often settling in the process. The Bedouin themselves are in a constant process of transition to sedentary life, a process much accelerated in the last century. Most governments of the region encourage and support that process of settlement (though it raises complex problems of land ownership). There are few fully nomadic, camel-raising tribes left by now. Most have become semi-nomadic, at various stages of the transition process, and some are fully settled, though in many cases animal husbandry remains their main source of livelihood. All semi-nomadic tribes, and most settled ones, retain their tribal identity and organization long after they have ceased to be fully nomadic Bedouin. The basic unit of Bedouin social organization is the tribe ('ashira) - though the migrating unit often is the extended family rather than the whole tribe. Frequently several tribes form a large tribal federation (qabila). The tribe, usually claiming descent from a legendary common ancestor, is headed by the sheikh, who wields wide authority over his tribesmen, including their personal and family affairs. In tribes settling on the land, the sheikh sometimes secures the formal ownership of the land, changing from primus inter pares into a semi-feudal landlord and large-scale employer contractor. The sheikh is nominally elected by the heads and elders of all the families of his tribe; in fact, his position in most cases is hereditary. Modern governments often reserve for themselves the right to appoint, or at least to confirm, the sheikh. Bedouin tribes have developed their own customs and lore, often described in literature and travelogues, such as their renowned hospitality (a social convention strictly necessary in the conditions of the desert). They also have their own tribal law, based on collective tribal and family responsibility, and the treatment of all conflicts as civil disputes to be settled between man and his fellow, or between the families concerned, rather than criminal matters to be prosecuted by the state or society." Today Bedouin in Israel face similar problems to many of Israel's minority's including; retaining an ethnic identity in a State whose national emblems are Jewish. Bedouin leaders claim that they lack sufficient funding for schools, hospitals etc. Bedouin in Israel serve in the Israeli army, using their knowledge of the Israeli terrain as trackers. Bedouin communities have come into conflict with the State over the right to wander,attempts have been made to encourage the process of urbanization. Development in the Negev has also conflicted with traditional Bedouin land claims. Return to Israeli Politics and Society
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