'Black goat' to thrive again in Israel

Breed has been heavily limited since 1950 for causing environmental damage, but lawmakers now say its eating habits can help reduce fire risks

A breed of goat limited for decades by law in Israel is expected to prosper once again in the Jewish state.

The black goat, also called the Syrian goat, has since 1950 been barred from forests and woodlands under a law that says they cause environmental damage.

On Wednesday, the Knesset in a preliminary reading passed a bill to repeal that legislation, on the grounds that grazing would thin out undergrowth that can fuel forest fires, said Jamal Zahalka (Joint List), the Arab Israeli MK behind the push.

The government supports the bill, which should reverse the decline in the number of black goats in the country.

Israeli shepherd Avshalom Yaaran walks his black goats, also called Syrian goats, as they graze at the Jerusalem Mountain near Moshav Nes Harim on November 22, 2017. (AFP/Menahem Kahana)

In the forest region of Carmel in northern Israel, the number of the goats, whose scientific name is Capra Hircus Mambrica, has fallen from 15,000 45 years ago to around 2,000 today, according to Zahalka.

He said repealing the law would “repair an historic injustice” especially for Arab Israeli farmers, who like to breed this species well adapted to the Mediterranean climate.

“An anti-goat police fought against the Arab peasants who no longer had the right to breed these animals,” Zahalka said.

Recent studies have shown that these goats can help reduce the risk of fire by eating flammable bushes and shrubs.

Zahalka said he had the backing of the coalition government, including the far-right Jewish Home party.

A black goat, a type also referred to as the Syrian goat, grazes near Moshav Nes Harim in central Israel’s Judean foothills, eight kilometers west of Jerusalem on November 22, 2017. (AFP/Menahem Kahana)

While not agreeing with Zahalka’s criticism of Israeli policy, Jewish Home ministers Uri Ariel and Ayelet Shaked helped convince the government to back the bill.

“Goats are an important factor in preventing fires,” Ariel was quoted as saying in the Hebrew media. “We want to encourage grazing in the appropriate areas and times.”