The Documentary Podcast: "The Shepherd and the Settler"

BBC World Service – September 16, 2020
Episode Theme:
This episode explores the collision of ancient pastoral life and modern geopolitics in the occupied West Bank. Through vivid storytelling, it follows a day in the life of Mohammad, a Palestinian Bedouin shepherd, and unpacks his fraught interactions with Israeli settlers, activists, and the larger systems that shape their lives.

Episode Overview

• Main Theme:
  The podcast documents the daily realities for Palestinian shepherds in the West Bank, focusing on the evolving challenges brought by Israeli settlements and outposts. It features firsthand voices—from shepherds to settlers to activists—while unpacking the historical and ideological landscape underpinning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life as a Shepherd Under Pressure

• The episode begins with Mohammad, a Bedouin shepherd, describing his daily routine simple joys, and the growing stress due to settler intervention ([01:35–02:41]).
  • "Usually we take the flock out at 8, 8:15, come back at 2. You wander with the flock, the woman milk the sheep and turn it into cheese. You sell it. That's our routine." – Mohammad [02:41]
• As settlers increase their presence, substantial grazing land is lost; the shepherds depend on support from Israeli activists to move safely ([02:41–03:15]).

2. Encounters on the Hillside: Conflict in Microcosm

• During recording, an Israeli settler approaches the flock on an ATV, leading to a tense standoff between Aviv, the activist, and the settler ([03:47–05:03]).
  • "Aviv runs towards the ATV and stands directly in its way ... grabs the front of the ATV ... the driver gives up, reverses and drives off." – Host [04:20]
• The confrontation escalates with the presence of a teenager on a horse, blaring music, and repeated attempts by settlers to scatter the flock ([06:43–07:31]).
• Mohammad’s exhaustion is palpable:
  • "I'm tired and angry. If I was any more tired, I couldn't get angry." – Mohammad [07:31]

3. The Changing Terrain

• The lands to the west are military zones; to the east, nature reserves—squeezing Bedouin families into ever-smaller, unsustainable areas ([07:58–08:12]).
• Mohammad reflects on recent expansion:
  • "They haven't come to this area until last week. They are expanding." – Mohammad [08:12]
• Shepherding is now fraught with danger, and families are being forced out ([09:47–10:04]).

4. Historical & Legal Background

• Several commentators provide context for the West Bank's status:
  • Daniel Gordes explains Israeli internal debate post-1967 ([10:15–10:22]).
  • Noura Erakat, Palestinian-American attorney, underscores the occupation’s impact and implications of not granting full rights:
    • "If they actually absorbed the Palestinians at the time, it would have disrupted a Jewish demographic majority." [10:50]
• The podcast clarifies the difference between legal settlements and unauthorized outposts, illustrating the complexity of the situation ([11:14–13:22]).
  • Erakat on settlements:
    • "Once you settle civilians into any occupied territory, it becomes permanent in nature." [12:31]
• Israeli and international legal disagreements are unpacked ([12:57–13:22]).

5. Settler Perspectives and Motivations

• The host visits Danny Spielman in Kochav Hashachar, a legal settlement, who articulates the biblical narrative and Jewish historical connection:
  • “The country here belongs to the Jewish people. You learn the Bible, okay? So it gets into you. It's part of your personality.” – Danny Spielman [16:30]
• Danny opposes violence and recognizes international objections, but sees the settlement as natural reclamation ([16:52–17:49]).
  • “I can't blame the world for saying, why are you sitting in a land that isn't yours?... But we have to solve the problem. How do we relate to the large number of Palestinians that live here, which is definitely a problem." – Danny Spielman [17:57]
• Settlers in outposts like Malache Hashalom (Angels of Peace) operate without legal backing but receive government support (infrastructure, utilities), blurring the boundaries of legality and enforcement ([17:13–17:49]).

6. The National Narrative and Personal Identity

• The episode captures the tension within the Jewish diaspora regarding Israel’s role in Jewish identity, especially through a debate between the host's co-producer Alana and Shalom Pollack, a Jerusalem-based writer ([20:28–22:51]):
  • “If a Jew has no connection to the idea of a Jewish land with the idea of a Jewish people, then not too much is left of that person's Judaism.” – Shalom Pollack [21:43]
  • Alana counters:
    • “I see myself as a part of a people who has lived in lots of different places and has suffered and prospered in lots of different places. And I think that's true of Israel, too.” [22:25]

7. Religious Ethics & the Danger of National Idolatry

• Rabbi Eric Asherman speaks to the spiritual dimensions of land and justice, challenging the use of religion to justify oppression ([23:10–25:00]):
  • "The land of Israel is holy ... but not a carte blanche ... When in the name of possessing the entire land of Israel, you oppress the Palestinian shepherd that is our modern idolatry.” – Rabbi Asherman [24:00]

8. The Human Cost: Displacement and Uncertainty

• The episode ends on the struggles faced by Mohammad's family and other Bedouins ([26:13–26:48]):
  • “If it wasn’t for the settler, I might have told you yes, but if it stays like this, it’s intolerable.” – Mohammad [26:13]
  • “This is our life.” [26:48]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Usually we take the flock out at 8, 8:15, come back at 2 ... But we prevented from coming here since the settlers arrived and started limiting us.” – Mohammad [02:41]
• “Aviv runs towards the ATV and stands directly in its way… After pushing and pushing Aviv with the ATV, finally the driver gives up, reverses, and drives off.” – Host [04:20]
• "If I was any more tired, I couldn’t get angry." – Mohammad [07:31]
• “He has the army, he has the money. The law is not with him, but the law enforcement is with him.” – Mohammad [14:35]
• “The idea is, how do you move towards a future where the claims to belonging are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing?” – Noura Erakat [19:12]
• "The land of Israel is holy ... but not a carte blanche ... When in the name of possessing the entire land of Israel, you oppress the Palestinian shepherd that is our modern idolatry.” – Rabbi Eric Asherman [24:00]
• “This is our life.” – Mohammad [26:48]

Key Segments and Timestamps

• Introduction & Daily Life of Shepherds: [01:35–03:15]
• First Confrontation with Settlers: [03:47–05:03]
• Settlers & Flock Corralling: [06:43–07:31]
• Legal and Historical Contextualization: [10:04–13:22]
• Settler Interviews – Motivation and Legality: [15:19–17:49]
• National Narrative, Identity & Jewish Diaspora Debates: [20:28–22:51]
• Religious Reflections on Justice: [23:10–25:00]
• Mohammad on Displacement and Future: [26:13–26:48]

Tone and Language

• The reporting is immersive and personal, often relaying tense, on-the-ground experiences.
• Language is direct but empathetic, weaving personal stories with broader historical and ideological narratives.
• Dialogue faithfully preserves speakers’ voices—colloquial, candid, and emotionally resonant.

Summary

"The Shepherd and the Settler" offers a nuanced, human-centered look at one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. It vividly captures the daily hardships faced by Palestinian shepherds like Mohammad, the motivations and worldview of Israeli settlers, and the complexities faced by activists. With historical, religious, and legal commentary woven throughout, the episode challenges listeners to consider both immediate human consequences and the broader narratives that perpetuate this conflict.