The Negev Bedouin are Arabs who originally had a nomadic lifestyle rearing livestock in the deserts of southern Israel. Scarcity of water and of permanent pastoral land required them to move constantly. The first recorded nomadic settlement in Sinai dates back 4,000-7,000 years. Today, many Bedouin call themselves 'Negev Arabs', explaining that 'Bedouin' identity is intimately tied in with a pastoral nomadic way of life  a way of life they say is over. Although the Bedouin in Israel continue to be perceived as nomads, today all of them live fully sedentary lives, and about half live in villages or small towns. This is made more difficult by a lack of reliable water. Violence between Jewish settlers and Bedouins began in the early 20th century and continued after the establishment of the state of Israel. Over 60,000 Negev Arabs were forced out of the Negev after Israel was founded. The Negev is one of the driest places on Earth, with some parts receiving less than three inches of water a year. Like parts of the American West, the aquifer here does not get replenished. Bedouin communities face significant challenges regarding access to water, often being denied adequate supplies by the Israeli government, particularly in unrecognized Bedouin villages, effectively using water as a tool to displace them from their land and to suppress their basic rights. This lack of water access contributes to the impoverished conditions many Bedouin live in within the region.