Please pray for the Bedouin of Israel. The Bedouin are a nomadic people group who had traveled far and wide in the Middle East until the Ottoman Empire forced them into a more sedentary lifestyle towards the end of the 1800’s. Since then, the Bedouin have been in a constant struggle to figure out a new way of life.

Now, due to the strict national boundaries in the Middle East, it is harder than ever for the Bedouin to be nomadic at all. Many simply work as migrant workers in the cities while living in temporary shacks and shelters in the deserts. Many others have simply integrated into urban society in light of the challenges of remaining nomadic in the modern era. In an effort to keep their tribal structure in tact while working as migrant workers, some illegal bedouin settlements have been built over the years. One of those settlements is Khan Al-Ahmar, which is expected to be demolished in the near future against the will of the 180 residents of the settlement. The legislation affecting settlements in Israel requires that settlements are established and expanded only through approved legal means.

Again, please pray for the Bedouin, for their integration into Israeli society for those who integrate and for effectiveness in working with the legal system for those who remain in desert settlements.