Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.
Jawad Badr, the head of the veterinary department at the Palestinian ministry of agriculture in Bethlehem, explains that in five years the shepherds have lost a third of their sheep. "This business is not profitable any more. Owing to the droughts and the lack of grazing areas, the shepherds are forced to buy fodder, but the prices are too high," he says.
The Palestinian Authority, he adds, cannot afford subsidies apart from a couple of free shots of vaccines a year.
If shepherds have become a kind of endangered species in Bethlehem, 73-year-old Carlos Nicola Sarras is an even greater rarity. He is one of the few remaining Christian shepherds in the area. His house sits next to the barrier that cuts Bethlehem and Beit Jala from the west. It is surrounded by half a hectare of land, where his sheep "go out to breathe some air".
Sarras, who despite his situation wears a permanent smile on his face, says: "This cannot be called herding."
This season, rain has been so scarce that he cannot even milk the sheep. Selling the rams and waiting for a better time is the only option. Today, Sarras is getting ready to slaughter one of his 30 sheep to celebrate Christmas with part of his family. The rest of his relatives, including five of his nine children, have emigrated. "Here there is no work. My kids could not live off the sheep even if they wanted to."
Many of his fellow shepherds have given up. Some lay bricks in the nearby settlements. Others remain jobless in a region where the unemployment rate reaches as high as to 23%.
But Sarras is not so interested in talking about the misfortune of his peers. Instead, he wants to show off his wooden catapult which he used to use to hunt birds.
He says: "This one is very good. The only problem is that the birds seem to have disappeared. I think it's all the weather's fault."
International court arrest warrant
-
“Middle East latest: Netanyahu denounces international court arrest warrant
against him“ (AP).You have to wonder if this was allowed as Rothschild Jews
are...
The World Trump Gets
-
The World Trump Gets November 17 2024 ___________________________________
More Vids! +BN Vids Archive! HERE! ___________________________________
Support Th...
Report on Beth Israel vigil 11-09-24
-
*15th Annual Bill Henry International Eat-a-Cheeseburger Day: A Success*
Here’s the group celebrating the Jewish holiday commonly referred to as The
Day...
Donald Trump: Round Two
-
Donald Trump: Round Two—An Analysis (12 November 2024) by Lawrence Davidson
Part I — Surprise, Surprise? Just how surprised should […]
Fake Rolex Pearlmaster 39 of Timekeeping
-
The Rolex Pearlmaster, often referred to as “the pearl of the Oyster
collection,” epitomizes the pinnacle of luxury watchmaking. Crafted
exclusively in pre...
-
Hello all,
It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of our beloved
sister, Mother, and Grandmother, the individual that you all knew ...
Ikhras Endorses Muntadhar Al-Zaidi
-
“Oh parties of banditry and sectarianism and corruption, we have come and
our goal is to destroy you.” Ikhras formally endorses Muntadhar al-Zaidi,
Iraqi j...
Guantánamo Bay victim sues Ottawa for $50 million
-
Djamel Ameziane, an Algerian-born technician, who took refuge in Canada in
1995, sues Canadian government for $50 million as compensation for the
detention...
Palestinian Women – One for All, All for One
-
Honouring All Palestinian Women by Honouring Three: Hanin Zoabi, Ahed
Tamimi, Samah Sabawi Vacy Vlazna “Palestinian women have always stood side
by side ...
US’s Saudi Oil Deal from Win-Win to Mega-Lose
-
By F. William Engdahl Who would’ve thought it would come to this? Certainly
not the Obama Administration, and their brilliant geo-political think-tank
neo-...
-
*Mordechai Vanunu wins human rights prize of Brazilian Press Association *
* http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/features/updates/7038-mordechai...
Abdul Aziz Rantissi:
"My ultimate wish, my God, is to attain martyrdom,"...God granted him his wish on April 17, 2004, at the hands of Israeli assassins.
No comments:
Post a Comment