‘Our forest-our home’: leisure and tourism among the Bedouin minority in southern Israel

A groundbreaking study reveals that forests in southern Israel serve as neutral 'enabling spaces' for the Bedouin minority, fostering social integration and empowerment while also highlighting internal societal divides. The research, conducted among Negev Bedouins from 2019 to 2020 using both quantitative and qualitative methods, demonstrates a trend of adaptation by the Bedouin community to the leisure patterns of the Jewish majority, alongside physical closeness during recreational activities. Notably, it identifies emerging internal processes, such as the empowerment of marginalized groups and a growing gap between urban and rural Bedouins, which had not been previously documented. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of leisure dynamics among ethnic minorities.

Galilee, E., Yahel, H., & Oren, G. (2022). ‘Our forest-our home’: leisure and tourism among the Bedouin minority in southern Israel. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 21(2), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2022.2057230