On Matchboxes and Villas: New Bedouin Houses in the Negev Desert

The conversation about the (formerly nomadic) Bedouin population in Israel has centered around land: The land they lost, the land they were moved to. This article shifts the focus to the buildings they build and inhabit. It explores how the Bedouin have been building statement houses that draw their design inspiration, labor, and building materials from the Palestinian Authority territories and Jordan. These houses first appeared in Bedouin towns but later followed the Bedouin to Jewish-dominated suburbs. Drawing upon archival material as well as interviews, this article makes two main arguments. First, these houses reflect deep transformations that Bedouin society is undergoing in the Negev. These transformations include, on the one hand, ongoing integration into the Israeli middle class, and on the other, a growing sense of solidarity with the Palestinians. Second, I argue that these houses subtly undermine the cultural borders of Israel. In doing so, they illustrate how domestic architecture—in its design and use—can function as an active participant in a claim for inclusion that goes beyond the stark narratives of resistance and subjugation.