Jamil

32-year-old Bedouin of the Jahalin tribe.

Jamil, Bedouin

Jamil al-Hamadin, of the Jahalin Bedouin tribe, sings a traditional bedouin song accompanied by the rababa – a stringed musical instrument.

The Bedouin community originated in the Negev Desert in the southern area of the Dead Sea. In 1948, the Bedouin were dispersed, with some settling in the West Bank. Currently, less than half of the Bedouin community in the Holy Land lives in the Jordan region. Approximately 50 Bedouin, mainly from the Jahalin tribe, live in the area between East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In 2012, a civil administration order was issued to the community. In 2014 an eviction order followed. Two years later the Jahalin faced a demolition order and, in 2017, a further demolition order. As the land is religious land, the Bedouin refuse to be transferred to a refugee camp. Being enclosed in one space presents complex issues for the Bedouin as they are nomadic peoples.