A Palestinian Bedouin woman and her child, southern Palestine - c.1898
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Most Bedouins are originally from the Negev Desert, from which they were forci-bly displaced or fled during the 1948 Nakba. The social structure of Bedouin communities is comprised of three large confederations: Al Tayaha, Al Azazmeh, and Al Tarabeen, to which 92 tribes are linked.
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In 1931, 89% of Bedouins in the Negev were dependent on agriculture, while only 10% lived exclusively from livestock meaning the majority of them had a strong connection to the land, which was the main source of their livelihoods, and remains central to Bedouin history, tradition, and culture. "The Bedouins' historical attachment to the land challenges the ill-founded assumption that they are nomads without roots who do not reside permanently in any place, without attachment to land, or territorial perception of individual ownership."