Of Sheep and Settlers

Of sheep I have knowledge and experience. They are roughly the same everywhere in the world one encounters them. Israeli settlers can only find in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Of them, I know next to nothing.

Sheep belong to the cattle family because they ruminate, have cloven hooves, and are typical of animals that gather in flocks. Sheep have been held as domestic animals for several thousand years. They were easy to tame; their meat is of a good quality; and they have a thick, light, and warm fur. Sheep are also very clever in finding food when they are on their own in a natural environment.

I grew up on a sheep farm myself in Norway. Every spring we let the sheep outto pasture in the mountains where they can move freely the whole summer and get fat. In September we bring them down again.

The sheep in the tiny village of Yanoun, about 20 kilometers outside Nablus in the northern West Bank, have longer ears than our sheep at home. However, the biggest difference is that sheep in Yanoun are not able to move as freely as their brothers and sisters around the world. As a matter of fact, their grazing areas have been increasingly reduced over recent years. The areas where they and their forefathers could move freely have now been overtaken by Jewish Israeli settlers.

The settlers came to the areas around Yanoun in 1984. Despite international conventions stating that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal, they built a settlement called Itamar. The settlement has its own homepage on the internet. There it is stated that “haShem granted us our return home.” Who this haShem is, I don’t know, but what is certain is that he or she is not among the living and certainly has no understanding of basic human rights relating to the freedom to earn a living; not being subject to physical attacks; etc. As time went by, the settlers expanded Itamar and eight years ago the sheep and their shepherds in Yanoun could see new buildings being constructed on top of the hills around the village. The settlers started to use Yanoun’s land and they kept coming closer and closer to the village itself. In October 2002 they entered the village, armed with M16 automatic rifles and chased the families out of their homes. Everyone, except a few members of one of the families, fled to the nearby town of Aqraba, approximately four kilometers away. With the help of a permanent international presence, currently being provided by the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, they were able to return to their homes.

This day the sheep of Yanoun are out in the sun, doing their daily routine of eating and exercising. Those who belong to the farmer Nimerhave their area. It certainly is not large, but if they take a couple of rounds they get their needed “workout.” Up on the hilltop only 300 meters away can be seen the buildings and constructions of the settlers. One is a look-out tower, another is, according to the villagers, a shed for cows and sheep, and yet another is a house inhabited by settlers. If the sheep were to take a break from their eating and look up, they would be able to see a man walking around up there. The Yanoun sheep have never met their compatriots in the settler shed up there and most likely never will. I do not know but I think both sides might enjoy meeting each other. The sheep have so much in common that they would surely agree on many topics. Sheep are known tobe peaceful creatures. They don’t steal other sheep’s outdoor areas; don’t build walls and fences; and don’t walk around with automatic rifles on their backs. Sheep are, all in all, fairly decent citizens.

It is winter in Yanoun. At night the temperature dips below zero, but in the daytime, with the sun beating down, the human inhabitants can walk around in light shoes. Nimer’s sheep greatly appreciate the one and a half hour tour in the open air. First they set down to the well to drink, the well where settlers took their dogs, considered dirty creatures by the Muslim villagers, for a wash. Then it is time for some grazing. They seem to guard themselves carefully so that they don’t get too high on the hillside and cross the invisible borders over to the settler occupied land. The sheep have experienced being shot and being stabbed. Some of their friends have had to be put to death because of blood loss or severe injuries. It is as if they know that the safest option is to keep their distance. What they do not know is what will happen to them next week and in the future. That only the settlers know.

Sheep in Yanoun being brought to pasture. In the background can

be seen sheds for the cows and sheep belonging to the nearby

Israeli settlers.