Spatial dynamics and Palestinian resilience: The lifestyle of Al-Kurshan Bedouins in Bethlehem District

Abstract

This study explores the role of Bedouins in preserving Palestinian land through their own means of community resilience through the concept of “Art of being” and its entailed “Arts of presence and persistence”. This is examined through the correlation between Bedouin lifestyle and the spatial distribution of structures within “Al-Kurshan” Bedouin clan in Area C in the West Bank. Based on a mixed qualitative and spatial methodologies, information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with Al-Kurshan Bedouins and employees of organizations supporting Bedouins, on-site observation, and analyses of maps and photos, in addition to drawings and illustrations. The spatial distribution of Bedouin built structures is analyzed in relation to landscape and climate, social aspects within the families, and available service and sectorial infrastructures. These analyses give insight on how Bedouins struggle against adopting other lifestyles. The study shows that the Bedouins are slowly forced to negotiate their semi-nomadic lifestyle, but resist giving up their right to exist against the threat of forced displacement. They maintain their “Art of being” which partly represents their own way of safeguarding Palestinian lands from confiscation. The study contributes to the wider discussion of spatial dynamics of Bedouins and their community resilience within the Palestinian geopolitical context.