ABSTRACT
This chapter follows the untold stories of Bedouin Arab women in the Naqab/Negev region and the ways in which they exist in hidden separate spaces of female gathering. In these stories, which are based on fragments of the women’s experience from before 1948, the land and the women’s relation to it form a central anchor. The historical silence of these women stems from their marginalization in and through an institutionalized patriarchal structure, within which they are not accustomed to making their voices public and are forced to apply covert practices to produce their own internal narratives. This is also expressed in their unique style and spoken language, which, although fragmented, contains a rich historical story that is passing from one generation to the next, shaping their identity and their affinity to the place. Thus, these voices challenge the identities that have been imposed upon them, push the boundaries of patriarchal hegemony, and resist Zionist exclusion from the space.
