Negev camel racing: A Bedouin tradition that unites Israeli society

A traditional and highly popular sport across the Middle East, camel racing is beloved among Israel’s Bedouin community.

By ANAV SILVERMAN PERETZ NOVEMBER 23, 2024 22:11

FORTY CAMELS took part in the race in the Negev Highlands on Nov. 1. (photo credit: ANAV SILVERMAN PERETZ)

Amid the swirling sand and colorful Bedouin tents, more than 6,000 spectators gathered to watch the surprisingly nimble camels race in the Negev Highlands during Israel’s first legal camel race on Friday, November 1.

A traditional and highly popular sport across the Middle East, camel racing is beloved among Israel’s Bedouin community. Bedouin of different tribes from the north and the south of Israel traveled to take part in the historic event, alongside Jewish residents from nearby communities who also came to watch.

“A great happiness has descended upon the Negev since this event. There is a new feeling in the desert air,” said organizer Adel Walidie of the Israel Camel Riders Forum, an organization that includes camel riders from the Bedouin community, as well as Jewish enthusiasts.

“This was a monumental step in recognizing Bedouin tradition,” Walidie told the Magazine in a recent interview. “It was beautiful to see people of different religions and backgrounds come together to watch our camels race.

“Not every camel is the same,” pointed out Walidie, 38, who operates a camel riding venture called Ben Midbar in the Mitzpe Ramon area, which attracts bothy locals and tourists from around the world. “The camels that take part in camel racing go through special training. They have the ability to run fast thanks to their lighter body type and long, thin legs. They are also the most expensive type of camel to purchase. Other camels, on the other hand, are built heavier and are used to transport heavy items,” he explained.

FORTY CAMELS took part in the race in the Negev Highlands on Nov. 1. (credit: ANAV SILVERMAN PERETZ)

He also noted that there are camels that can only be found in Israel, thanks to the Nabataeans, nomadic traders of ancient Arabia who traversed the spice trade route. “When the Nabataeans settled in our region, they brought with them caravans of camels, whose descendants are among us today. These camels are special to Israel and cannot be found anywhere else.”

Walidie spoke about camels with a certain reverence and regards them as an inseparable part of the desert. “When the camel became domesticated, so did the desert, thousands of years ago. It is very easy to train a camel,” he said. “Camels can go for up to two weeks without water and a month without food. Their hump stores fat, which provides them with the energy to keep going.

“The camel is consistent and reliable, and very loyal to its owners. But if there is no direct communication with the camel, it will not serve anyone,” he said.

Camel racing: From criminal to celebrated

IN THE past, camel racing was often held illegally in Israel. According to Walidie, the first camel race in Israel took place in 2002. Because past races did not have the proper clearance or permits, often taking place in tracks set up in unauthorized venues in military zones, accidents to both riders and animals were prone to happen. In addition, camels that competed in the illegal races did not always receive the proper veterinary treatment or vaccinations as they did for the legal race held on November 1.

“For years, the camel races in the Negev have been a symbol of lawlessness and the lack of governance,” said Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, whose ministry is behind legalizing the recent camel race. “This year we decided, together with several partners, to plan this event in a regulated and legal manner that would showcase the uniqueness of Bedouin culture,” he said.

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Indeed, organizing a legal camel race in Israel did not spring out of nowhere. It required long hours of planning and cooperation among the different branches and departments of government, as well as local authorities, which included the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry, the Development of the Negev and Galilee Ministry, the Israel Police, the Israel Camel Riders Forum, and the Ramat Hanegev Regional Council.

Chikli’s point person for organizing the camel race was Yaniv Shlomo, a longtime resident of the Negev and chief superintendent in the police force, who has spent many years working with the Bedouin communities in the Negev.

“We really had to invent the wheel for this historic event,” Shlomo told the Magazine. “There were so many details to work out – everything from providing insurance to riders and the proper equipment for the camels, to abiding by the safety precautions and obtaining the finances to sponsor this event.

“Making this event happen was crucial for building trust between the Bedouin community and the State of Israel. By showing what was to be gained by working with the law and not against it, we have set an important milestone in the state’s relationship with the Bedouin,” he said. “In light of how successful this year’s camel race proved to be, I have in mind a three-day festival for next year,” he added.

At least 40 racing camels participated in the event, which included a six-kilometer race for young camels and a 12-km. race for mature camels. The winning camel riders received monetary prizes, which included NIS 12,000 for first place, NIS 10,000 for second place, and NIS 8,000 for third place.

The event featured an organized route with safety measures, first-aid stations, toilet stands, and traditional guest tents. Huge screens projected the race, accompanied by commentary in Arabic and Hebrew by an expert moderator.

Walidie expressed deep appreciation for the government offices and local authorities who he said did “everything” they could to make Israel’s first legalized camel race possible.

“We are very thankful to all the government officials and Minister Chikli, who took this race seriously and believed in us,” Walidie said.

The camel race was held in a remote area in the Ramat Hanegev Regional Council, located about 22 km. from Beersheba. Hila Kaplan, director general of the council, said that event organizers had a mere month to prepare for the event.

“Our regional council was happy to host the camel race because we felt it was an important event in maintaining our ongoing friendly relations with the Bedouin community of the Negev,” she said.

Kaplan emphasized that the council has excellent relations with the Bedouin community. “Our relationship with the Bedouin community takes place every day. We work and live together. Bedouin women, for example, work in our nurseries and daycare systems.

“What changed thanks to this race is the way in which the Bedouin community views the state, not so much the regional council,” she stated.

Kaplan added that following the horrific events of Oct. 7, leaders from the regional council sat together with residents from Bir Hadaj, a Bedouin village in the council, and talked about strengthening cooperation. “There is no place here for the notion of ‘us’ versus ‘them,’” she said.

MEANWHILE, WALIDIE dreams of a time when the Israel Camel Riders Forum, which was founded a decade ago and today has 50 members, will be able to represent the Jewish state in international races.

“It would be amazing to represent Israel in the camel races that take place in Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.

“The Camel Riders Forum wants to celebrate and preserve the connection between the desert and the camel. Camel racing inspires our young people to be more engaged in our traditional ways and appreciate thousands of years of desert culture. We also hope that future events will bring in more tourists as well,” he said.

Others, like Omar, a resident of Abde, another Bedouin village in Ramat Hanegev, said he was away on vacation in Jordan when the historic camel race took place. “But I watched all the videos of the race on social media on my phone,” he said excitedly. “It was so much better and safer, now that it was done legally,” said the young man, who works at a greenhouse in Midreshet Ben-Gurion.

“This race was also much more organized. The spectators stayed in their place and did not run onto the tracks as they often do. I hope there will be more legal races like this one.” 

The writer made aliyah from Calais, Maine, in 2004. She works as an English teacher in Midreshet Ben-Gurion, where she lives with her family.