Police arrest two Rahat residents, confiscate one camel, after foiling Bedouin camel race plans
Camels were also spotted in the Bedouin city of Rahat on Election Day the week beforehand, as masked individuals riding on horses and camels through the city were seen waving flags and playing music.
In a recent operation, the Israel Police and Border Police thwarted a plan to host an illegal camel race in a sensitive IDF live-fire training zone in southern Israel. The foiled event was set to take place near Route 222 in Bir Hadaj, a Bedouin agricultural town. On the day of the race, security forces conducted surveillance, noting the presence of multiple vehicles and trailers, along with a gathering crowd of spectators.
As the scheduled time arrived, the two primary instigators - a minor and an adult both from Rahat - attempted to escape, fleeing on their vehicles. Aerial support enabled the police to swiftly locate and apprehend both suspects for further investigation. The confiscated camel was also seized during this operation. Notably, camels were observed in the Bedouin city of Rahat on Election Day the previous week, where masked individuals riding horses and camels paraded through the city, waving political banners and playing music.
Prior to this incident, police had already disrupted another camel race plot in the same location in September, subsequently detaining multiple suspects and seizing the camel present. Camel racing, a cherished tradition in the Middle East, is also prevalent among Bedouin communities. In Israel, Bedouins from various tribes converge with Jewish residents from nearby areas to participate in the event. The inaugural legal camel race was held in the Negev in 2024, drawing thousands of spectators.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
