Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 15, 2008 Shvat 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:33 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 07:34 28/12/2007
New version of old self-defense group guards Jewish farmlands
By Eli Ashkenzai, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Jezreel Valley, grazing land 

On a hill overlooking the Lower Galilee town of Kiryat Tivon, some 40 teenagers and adults were working to rebuild fences around grazing land that had been cut by persons unknown. Just a few kilometers away, a statue of Alexander Zaid, who founded the Shomer self-defense organization in the early 20th century, was recently toppled and destroyed. The workers were from New Shomer, whose members see themselves as Zaid's successors in protecting the grazing lands of the Lower Galilee and the Jezreel Valley.

Their struggle highlights the conflict between Jewish and Arab herders in the area. Because of the increasing numbers of both Jewish and Bedouin ranchers and the decrease in grazing land, disputes have been on the rise between them in recent years. Herds invade neighboring pastures, fences are cut and fires started. Many Jewish cattle farmers say that the authorities, especially the police, are not doing enough to protect them from Bedouin herders, and therefore they have to protect themselves. New Shomer, made up mainly of farmers, is a way for them to do so.

Thursday's "operation" was organized by students and graduates of the pre-army preparatory program at Kibbutz Ma'ayan Baruch. Before they got started, Y., a member of the organization from Moshav Tzippori (who asked that his name not be used), said his father's livelihood had been hurt by residents of the neighboring village, Rumat al-Haib.
Advertisement
"There is major neglect by the state. One person has to stand up and do something, and after him, thousands will come to help a farmer in trouble," he said.

"We'll be the Tel Hai," he added, referring to a Jewish collective farm in the Upper Galilee whose losing battle against Arab marauders in 1920 has become a metaphor for Jewish resistance.

A few months ago, Y. put a cart filled with books on the hill overlooking his family's grazing lands. Travelers stop by, and every two weeks, the organization's supporters gather there to hear lectures. Most of the time, there is a guard on the hill; according to Y., this has led to a decrease in the number of rustled calves in the area.

"I came up to the hill to show a presence. I am a scout, like they are," Y. said, pointing to Rumat al-Haib. "This area is mine, and it will belong to my sons, my grandsons and my great-grandsons."

Y. said he wants neighborly relations with the Bedouin farmers, and that New Shomer has no nationalist elements, but only "love of the land and the country."

Y.'s father, Hyman Zilberman, said that several Jewish farmers have given in to pressure from their Arab neighbors and either abandoned their land or paid the Arabs not to harm their livelihood. Haaretz could not confirm his claims.

Zilberman also denied that Jewish farmers had received lands taken from Arabs. "The fact is, there are Arab cattle-growers who get land [from the state]," he said.

One of New Shomer's supporters is the Im Tirtzu ("If You Will It") association, which says its goal is to defend Zionism. "The authorities are doing nothing here. We are acting instead of the state, before it's too late," Im Tirtzu activist Noam Aharon said of Thursday's activity.

The police do not reject New Shomer out of hand. "There's nothing wrong with individual initiative ... that serves the public interest, within the bounds of the law," said a spokesman for the Amakim District Police.

However, the police and Border Police also said they could deal with the agricultural theft, which has been greatly reduced in 2007. The Cattle Growers Association recently complimented the police and the prosecution on the decrease in agricultural crime.

The head of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, Eyal Betzer, did not deny the tension between Jewish and Arab farmers, but nevertheless said relations were "excellent." He said that if law enforcement were lacking, "there are private citizens' organizations," but urged people to obey the law.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Diskin's faulty math
The Shin Bet's estimate of civilian casualties was revealed to be too low.
Wooing minorities
The color of Barack Obama's skin has returned as an issue to the campaign.
  1.   does not sound good 09:53  |  mike 28/12/07
  2.   Settler thugs moving nearer home 09:54  |  Chanalau, Tova 28/12/07
  3.   Galilee is Arab land 10:27  |  Phil Stein 28/12/07
  4.   Very good solution 10:37  |  Afrikaner 28/12/07
  5.   Hey Haaretz, withdraw for the sake of peace, right ? 11:57  |  Mohammed "Teddy" Ber 28/12/07
  6.   Bedouin Encroachment 12:20  |  Noam 28/12/07
  7.   Where`s Dutch, Clickfool etc.? 13:05  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 28/12/07
  8.   Bad Ethics 13:16  |  Ethan 28/12/07
  9.   Apartheid Solidarity 13:18  |  Jim 28/12/07
  10.   Maybe the JNF could plant some more trees? 13:19  |  Andreas 28/12/07
  11.   to Phil Stein # 3 13:22  |  Judah N. Wenkel 28/12/07
  12.   #7 Ethan 13:47  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 28/12/07
  13.   Arabs responses to Israel 13:52  |  Petra 28/12/07
  14.   # & Ethan Great point, I noticed it as well. 13:54  |  Petra 28/12/07
  15.   Phillie Stein 15:54  |  Iz Ray Leigh 28/12/07
  16.   Mishpat Shlomo 16:09  |  Spinoza Machievelli 28/12/07
  17.   The very purpose of Zionism was to escape this persecution 16:27  |  Conroy 28/12/07
  18.   Gee, all this talk of Israel`s "land grab"... 16:33  |  Walter 28/12/07
  19.   Dutch & clickfool are having treatment for the disease of hatred 16:55  |  Iz Ray Leigh 28/12/07
  20.   Ethan is right; Haaretz is unethical 17:04  |  Jake 28/12/07
  21.   If it was about Palestinian defence groups... 17:07  |  Silvienne 28/12/07
  22.   Who is the Abominable Slowman? 17:09  |  Eli Ashkenzai 28/12/07
  23.   Disfunctional Israel 17:10  |  Danite 28/12/07
  24.   i can`t wait to join 17:15  |  vlad yankeelevich 28/12/07
  25.   # 6 - On behalf of Dutch, Clickfool etc 17:15  |  Don Camillo 28/12/07
  26.   Not uncommon of Bedouins 17:18  |  William 28/12/07
  27.   Bedouins are Indigenous 17:30  |  Janet 28/12/07
  28.   No 10-calm down a little 17:55  |  mike 28/12/07
  29.   Persons unknown Eli Ashkenzai? You are one of fence destroyers! 17:57  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/12/07
  30.   I just don`t understand you Haaretz 18:18  |  Conroy 28/12/07
  31.   Right to bear arms in Israel now!! 18:36  |  Anonymous Zionist 28/12/07
  32.   Mike hype -up # 11 19:16  |  Noam 28/12/07
  33.   #17 Walter 19:29  |  H50 28/12/07
  34.   to israeli peaceniks 19:51  |  har-zion 28/12/07
  35.   anonymous zionist:would you shoot innocent goats? 19:55  |  jacob sheppard 28/12/07
  36.   to those who write against israel 20:24  |  har-zion 28/12/07
  37.   To Jim 9 21:40  |  Afrikaner 28/12/07
  38.   Don-Camillo 22:08  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 28/12/07
  39.   Phil Stein #3 -- too late 03:32  |  bbl 29/12/07
  40.   1920 British won`t protect Jews Now: Israel Won`t Protect Jews 04:56  |  Efox 29/12/07
  41.   re: Jim 04:58  |  Efox 29/12/07
  42.   re: Silvienne 04:59  |  Efox 29/12/07
  43.   re: Anonymous Zionist 05:01  |  Efox 29/12/07
  44.   Is this a full circle? 14:49  |  Awake 29/12/07
  45.   Janet#27 - Bedouins are nomads, not land owners 18:21  |  William 29/12/07
  46.   Awake#44 - Arab violence before Haganah 18:28  |  William 29/12/07
  47.   Galilee is Arab land. 18:29  |  Karl Schulze 29/12/07
  48.   "Settler thugs moving nearer home" says London 19:33  |  Steve 29/12/07
  49.   #8 Ethan 19:35  |  Sarah 29/12/07
  50.   Amazing insight, Janet. Truly. 19:45  |  Steve 29/12/07
  51.   Karl - so that means Galilee is NOT Arab land 19:48  |  29/12/07
  52.   #50 Steve reading too much Joan Peters 00:15  |  Labhras 30/12/07
  53.   I Love how, in their names, they give Glory to God for the 00:31  |  Virginia 30/12/07
  54.   #27 Janet - well spoken (NT) 01:22  |  David King 30/12/07
  55.   #25, Good post, Don Camillo... 01:24  |  Silvienne 30/12/07
  56.   #25, Good post, Don Camillo... 01:24  |  Silvienne 30/12/07
  57.   #42, Efox... 01:27  |  Silvienne 30/12/07
  58.   #42, Efox... 01:27  |  Silvienne 30/12/07
  59.   #38, Nik (what is this "banned") Miller... 01:30  |  Silvienne 30/12/07
  60.   #2 - Tova, remembering the 1930`s 04:46  |  Kate 30/12/07
  61.   re: Silvienne 06:15  |  Efox 30/12/07
  62.   # 38 to nik "banned" miller 07:04  |  eric 30/12/07
  63.   # 61 hey efox 07:26  |  eric 30/12/07
  64.   To Judah N. Wenkel in Sweden and Afrikaner SA 08:49  |  Shoshana Thomasson 30/12/07
  65.   #63 eric from mexicos land and more bull 09:44  |  victor hardman 30/12/07
  66.   re: eric 10:29  |  Efox 30/12/07
  67.   re clarification --this morning response 16:40  |  Noam 30/12/07
  68.   # 65 to victor hardman 08:52  |  eric 31/12/07
  69.   # 66 ewwww...how dramatic you make it sound, efox! 01:27  |  eric 01/01/08
  70.   re: eric 11:26  |  Efox 15/01/08
 Today Online
Israel begins building 60 new homes in East Jerusalem
Responses: 54