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Bedouin Tribe Claims Kinship With Obama

Nomadic clan cheers victory of 'Bedouin Obama'

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:25 AM CST

(Newser) – A Bedouin tribe is northern Israel has claimed Barack Obama as one of its own, the Times of London reports. The sheik of the 8,000-member tribe said he realized the connection after his 95-year-old mother pointed out Obama's striking similarity to an African migrant worker who came to the region in the '30s and went home with a Bedouin bride. He claims the worker was related to Obama's Kenyan grandmother.

The sheik, who says he has papers and pictures to back up the claim, has sent a letter to the president-elect, but has yet to receive a response. "We knew he’d win,” said the sheik amid tribal celebrations of Obama's victory. “We have always been a lucky family. We hope he’ll end all wars and intervene here to solve our problems in Israel."

[Images (4)]

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An Israeli Bedouin Arab walks away from his camels after racing during a local festival in the Negev Desert near the city of Arad in southern Israel last year. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Israel Bedouin Arabs race camels during a local festival in the Negev Desert near the city of Arad in southern last year. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Jordanian Bedouins head to the international camel race in the desert at Wadi Rum, 186 miles south of Amman, last year. (AP Photo/Nader Daoud)

Bedouin camel jockeys take part in the international camel race in the desert at Wadi Rum, 186 miles south of Amman, Jordan, last year. (AP Photo/Nader Daoud)

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We knew about it years ago but we were afraid to talk about it because we didn’t want to influence the election.
- Abdul Rahman Sheikh Abdullah

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Bedouin Tribe Claims Kinship With Obama