Traveling Geeks

Ishmael Khaldi who helped to make our Traveling Geeks first trip to Israel possible and acted as guide on-the-ground, has just released a new book — his first — A Shepherd’s Journey. This “journey” is his unique story of transformation from his modest village roots to becoming Israel’s first bedouin diplomat and voice of reason in the Middle East.

He was born into a traditional Bedouin family in a poor Bedouin village in northern Israel, where he took us to during our trip in 2008. Take a look at some of the visuals from that trip to get an idea of his roots and what shaped him as a child.

His stories include his early days as a sheepherder and schoolboy “fights,” to his terrifying first forays into New York’s subway system, and later, his remarkable friendships with Jews and Muslims, religious and secular.

Ishmael has served in the Israeli Defense Forces, Defense Ministry and the Israeli Police before being chosen to join the Foreign Ministry. You can order his new book on Amazon.