Bedouin, derived from the Arabicbadawi بدوي, a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the eastern coast of the Arabian desert. It is occasionally used to refer to non-Arab groups as well, notably the Beja of the African coast of the Red Sea.
The Bedouins were traditionally divided into related tribes, each led by a Sheikh. Traditionally they would herd camels, sheep, and goats, while riding on highly prized horses, moving according to the seasons for grazing lands. For centuries and into the early 20th century the Bedouin were known for their fierce resistance to outside government and influence.
Beduin are not obligated to serve in Israel's Defense Forces (IDF), and only around 400 young men from Beduin tribes are presently volunteering.
The Beduin population in Israel's southern Negev region is estimated at 145,000, with an additional 40,000 in the Galilee.
Current Israeli policy is to try to concentrate the majority of Beduin into seven small towns, in an effort to control the spiraling lawlessness, and to provide education to enable them to compete in a 21st century economy.
BEDUIN CONSIDER themselves the original Arabs and are proud that they continue to live the lifestyle of their ancestors.
Alean al-Krenawi, a Beduin expert from Ben-Gurion University in the Negev and himself a Beduin, said that terror is the antithesis of Beduin culture.
The 30-year-old Beduin from the el-Arish area had been hiding in the mountains, but was found and killed, along with his wife, in a shoot-out with Egyptian security services 10 days after the Sharm e-Sheikh attacks.
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