Through 'Pastoral Settlement'.. The Occupation Uses Herds of Cows to Impose New Realities in the Golan

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to innovate unconventional methods to consolidate their presence in the occupied Syrian Golan, as recent reports have revealed a trend towards using 'pastoral settlement' as a tool to control land. This policy aims to impose new realities on the ground by transforming open areas into permanent Israeli civilian activity zones, thereby reducing the spaces available to the indigenous population.

Sources reported that the plan involves deploying approximately 140 head of cattle across vast areas estimated at about 10,000 dunams located west of Wadi al-Ruqqad. The bodies overseeing the project claim that this presence aims to prevent Syrian shepherds from approaching sensitive military points, in addition to providing civilian cover that acts as a natural monitoring and deterrence system in the area.

This movement is led by Yoel Zilberman, a former officer in the Israeli naval commando unit, through the 'New Guard' association he founded for this purpose. This organization is considered one of the strong settlement arms, managing a huge budget exceeding 33 million dollars, and relying on an army of armed volunteers numbering over 120,000 people annually.

Observers believe that this activity is inseparable from the Israeli strategy adopted in the West Bank, which relies on agricultural and pastoral presence as a first step to confiscate land. This type of settlement contributes to transforming the occupation into a fait accompli that is difficult to change in the future, especially with the significant financial and logistical support these associations receive from official and unofficial institutions.

Concurrently with these 'soft' moves, direct military operations continue in the Syrian areas adjacent to the ceasefire line. These operations include ground incursions and arrests of civilians, as well as bulldozing and destruction of property, which places the region in a state of constant tension and continuous escalation.

For its part, international human rights organizations, foremost among them Amnesty International, have warned that these practices constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. These organizations affirmed that acts of destruction, displacement, and alteration of land features in occupied territories may amount to war crimes that require international accountability.

This project has sparked a wave of widespread criticism on social media platforms, where activists considered the use of cows and agriculture as 'another face of the occupation'. Observers emphasized that the strategic importance of the Golan, including its water resources and Mount Hermon, is the primary driver of these continuous attempts to legitimize illegal annexation.

The project aims to create a civilian presence that deters any infiltration or monitoring in the open areas west of Wadi al-Ruqqad.