Introduces a novel anthropological study of photography in the Middle East.
Argues Bedouin presentations of the past are selective but increasingly reliant on archival documents such as photographs which spokespersons treat as evidence of their local histories amid escalating tensions in Israel.
Illustrates how representational contentions associated with tribal, civic, and Palestinian-Israeli politics influence how images do history work in this society.
Concludes Bedouin visual historicity is defined by acts of persuasion during which photographs authenticate alternating history projects.