The Negev

The Negev Desert is located in the southern part of Israel and constitutes 60% of Israel. Most of us think the desert is lifeless, but touring the Negev we will see how much we can be mistaken. We will discover ancient roads that carried exotic goods from Yemen to Rome. The Negev is where Abraham and Yitzhak lived. The war between the British and the Turks in World War 1 happened here, and the vision of David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, was to build here the future of the young state of Israel. He tried to do so in many aspects: settlements, industry, agriculture and education. Eilat is awaiting us at the southern end of the desert. Tropical and colorful fish live under the water along the coral reef in the Red Sea. Outside of the water we can experience the stunning desert – A real Genesis feeling, while we search for a trickle of water in the desert. Come with me to explore: Bedouins – a vanishing culture: What is nomad life all about? What is it like in the 21st century? We will visit the Joe Alon Museum, and get hosted by a real Bedouin family in their own home. Ben Gurion's footsteps at various stations in his life. We will visit the modest hut that served as his home after he resigned from political life, along with other turning points in his life and in Israeli history. The first settlements in the Negev – how did the Negev become part of Israel? We will visit the Mitzpim – points overlooking a large area, and get a taste of the isolated life in the Negev Desert back in the middle of the 20th century. The Arava and Eilat - nature and people in the desert. Eilat is home for some of the most creative inventers in the world, developing high–tech agriculture. We will also get a close-up view of the beautiful fish, the Flamingos, migrating birds and desert animals.