CBS: Settler herds control about 20% of the West Bank — Jerusalem Post
In the West Bank, extremist settlers are using herds and sheep grazing in an attempt to push Palestinians out of their places of residence, according to an investigation by CBS News' 60 Minutes program. As the Jerusalem Post reports, CBS said settler herds have “taken control” of about 20% of the West Bank.
CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl said that more than 100 Palestinian communities have been displaced or have effectively disappeared because of settler violence and the expansion of grazing. A local Palestinian mayor told the network that settlers are seizing land with the help of sheep. A Palestinian teacher said animals are brought into yards, where they eat trees near homes.
Grazing as a way to define boundaries
One of the co-founders of a farm, Mordechai Minster, told CBS that, in his view, livestock grazing makes it possible to define the boundaries of an area: where his herd grazes, others should not graze animals, plant crops or build. He acknowledged that some farms had used violence against Palestinian villages, but said that this does not, in his view, change settlers' right to the land.
Minster also spoke about the Hilltop Youth, a group of young radical settlers. According to him, its members are mostly between 15 and 25 years old, and some work with livestock or in construction. He disagreed with calling attacks on Palestinian farmers terrorism, although he acknowledged that some young people may behave aggressively.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Clash near the Faraj family home
Members of the Palestinian Faraj family from the village of Jannata told CBS that young settlers prevent them from reaching their home and, they said, attack them with sticks, stones, tear gas and weapons. During filming near the disputed house, one of the settlers headbutted Hassan Faraj twice, the network showed.
Activists from the Bnei Avraham, or Sons of Abraham, group were also at the scene, seeking to accompany Palestinians and prevent attacks. According to CBS, IDF soldiers escorted away two activists who had been surrounded by settlers and ordered everyone to leave the area. Stahl noted that the Palestinian family was not allowed to reach the house, while Hilltop Youth representatives were allowed to return there.
CBS also reported that the Israeli government has invested tens of millions of dollars in expanding sheep farms, arming them and purchasing American SUVs. Roi, an activist from Sons of Abraham, called what is happening not only settler violence, but also state violence.
