Seven Bedouin arrested for involvement in illegal camel races in IDF firing zone

Seven men were arrested during a police operation on Friday on suspicion of taking part in illegal camel races in an Israel Defense Forces firing zone in the Negev desert, a police statement said.

The statement also said that during the operation, 117 camels in Bedouin villages were inspected. Police seized eight of them on suspicion that their owners used them unlawfully.

The Bedouin men arrested are suspected of illegally organizing gambling and violating animal protection laws.

Furthermore, police confiscated two tractors and issued 14 traffic tickets to drivers who participated in the race.

Additionally, police destroyed three greenhouses containing 940 cannabis seedlings that were discovered during the arrests.

The outcry over the camel race initially erupted Wednesday when footage emerged of the race taking place near the IDF’s Tze’elim base.

הבוקר בנגב!
מרוץ גמלים בשטחי האש.. pic.twitter.com/EDS0ruhhPq

— מה חדש.❓ (@Gloz111) August 30, 2023

The race featured  dozens of camels, trucks and all-terrain vehicles crossing the base’s firing zone at high speed with many participants firing automatic weapons in the air.

Residents of southern Israel complain that the race is another example of the lawlessness in the Negev region.

Israeli border police stand next to a camel in the Negev desert during an operation to arrest suspects involved in an illegal camel race, Sept. 1, 2023. (Israel Police Spokesperson)

Pervasive lawlessness is a longstanding problem in the Negev, where police presence is limited and at times ineffective. Jewish Negev residents have particularly butted heads with local Bedouin.