The complex identity of Israel's Bedouin: The story behind the rescue of an Arab Muslim hostage

Report by Mario Doueiry, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The recent rescue of Kaid Farhan Al-Qadi, an Israeli Bedouin kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, has sparked widespread interest and raised several questions: Who are Israel's Bedouins? 

What role do they play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Why did this particular hostage receive such extensive media coverage?

Unlike most other hostages, Al-Qadi is an Arab Muslim. 

Israel seized the opportunity to showcase its commitment to all of its citizens, regardless of ethnicity or religion. 

Does this mean that all Bedouins in Israel support the state?

The Bedouins in Israel are an Arab ethnic group who historically led a nomadic lifestyle, moving across regions. 

Today, they primarily reside in two main areas: the Negev in southern Israel and the Galilee in the north. Smaller Bedouin communities exist in other regions, such as central Israel's "Triangle" area and mixed cities like Lod and Ramla, south of Tel Aviv. 

Some Bedouin families live around Jerusalem, particularly between the city and the West Bank.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Israeli government attempted to consolidate Bedouin communities into designated areas as part of a strategy to integrate them into the state. 

By the 1970s and 1980s, the government officially recognized some Bedouin villages, and now, there are 45 recognized villages, with around 35 unrecognized.

Some Bedouins, especially younger individuals who have worked in government institutions, show strong loyalty to Israel. They often serve in the Israeli military or hold civilian jobs and support the idea of positive engagement with Israel. 

On the other hand, those living in unrecognized villages often feel marginalized and discriminated against. They reject Israeli policies that deem their lands illegal and consider themselves part of the broader Arab Palestinian identity, expressing solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against Israel.