The Jew Who Lived with the Bedouin to Understand the Biblical Patriarchs

Jan. 13 2025

A native of Buffalo, New York who became the world’s leading expert on Bedouin society, Clinton Bailey died in Jerusalem on January 5 at the age of eighty-eight. Bailey, known in Israel as Itzik, first came to the country in 1957 to study at Hebrew University. He later made aliyah and served in the IDF. But he spent countless days and months with Bedouin and believed that understanding their culture was the key to understanding much of the Hebrew Bible. (You can read about his work here and listen to an interview here.) Zack Rothbart offers a personal reflection on Bailey and his legacy:

[Bailey could recall] conversations he had with elder Bedouin tribesmen in the deserts of the Negev or the Sinai decades ago. Many of the contexts and phrases he’d still remember sharply were remembered only by him, with his interlocutors long passed and their descendants no longer familiar with much of their own culture’s oral tradition.

Besides simply preserving their ancient oral tradition—which Clinton saw as closely linked with the most ancient Jewish traditions—he also truly did care about contemporary Bedouin life. He worked diligently to preserve Bedouin history as well as to promote their civil rights in Israel.

As a senior adviser to notable military and government officials, Clinton surely had some great stories with prominent people stowed away in that remarkable memory of his, yet he was not one particularly to enjoy name-dropping. He was, nonetheless, certainly proud of his personal friendship with Paula and David Ben-Gurion, a relationship documented in a now-legendary interview he conducted with Israel’s first prime minister shortly before Ben-Gurion passed away.

Read more at Times of Israel

More about: Bedouin, David Ben-Gurion, Hebrew Bible

Kuwait Should Be the Next Country to Make Peace with Israel

Feb. 13 2025

Like his predecessor, Donald Trump seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. But there are other Arab nations that might consider taking such a step. Ahmad Charai points to Kuwait—home to the Middle East’s largest U.S. army base and desperately in need of economic reform—as a good candidate. Kuwaitis haven’t forgiven Palestinians for supporting Saddam Hussein during his 1990 invasion, but their country has been more rhetorically hostile to Israel than its Gulf neighbors:

The Abraham Accords have reshaped Middle Eastern diplomacy. . . . Kuwait, however, remains hesitant due to internal political resistance. While full normalization may not be immediately feasible, the United States should encourage Kuwait to take gradual steps toward engagement, emphasizing how participation in regional cooperation does not equate to abandoning its historical positions.

Kuwait could use its influence to push for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic channels opened by engagement rather than isolation. The economic benefits of joining the broader framework of the Abraham Accords are overwhelming. Israel’s leadership in technology, agriculture, and water management presents valuable opportunities for Kuwait to enhance its infrastructure. Trade and investment flows would diversify the economy, providing new markets and business partnerships.

Kuwaiti youth, who are increasingly looking for opportunities beyond the public sector, could benefit from collaboration with advanced industries, fostering job creation and entrepreneurial growth. The UAE and Bahrain have already demonstrated how normalization with Israel can drive economic expansion while maintaining their respective geopolitical identities.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Abraham Accords, Kuwait