Bovine Security Threat to Israel Documented in The Wanted 18
Jordan Elgrably
Once upon a time in Beit Sahour, a suburb of Bethlehem, the town wanted to milk its own cows, rather than buy milk from Israel. This was in the era of the first Intifada and the people were in the mood for civil disobedience. And so it was that a few townspeople, including high school teacher Jalal Oumsieh, gathered the masari and purchased 18 milk cows from a nearby kibbutz. But because Palestinian culture is much more about goats and sheep, they sent one of their cherished sons, Salim Jaber, to the States to study how to milk cows. Eventually their dairy co-op was so successful that the cows became local celebrities (in the movie some of them have names and distinct personalities).
Little did the townspeople suspect that their beloved cows would rouse the suspicion and the ire of the local military governor, who soon declared (and I quote!), "These cows are dangerous for the security of the State of Israel." He gave Beit Sahour 24 hours to shut down its cow farm. Says baker Nassim Hilal in the film, "They represented a challenge to Israeli control."
The dairy went underground where the cows continued producing "Intifada milk."
In response to the crackdown, the town shebab (youth) began writing graffiti on the town walls that read "Boycott Israeli Products." The Israeli army began a house-to-house search for the dangerous animals—hundreds of soldiers thronged Beit Sahour's streets while two helicopters circled overhead.
Where are the cows?
The Wanted 18 (75 minutes) is a mix of Claymation and live action, interwoven with thoughtful interviews of both Palestinians and Israelis, and illustrations by director Amer Shomali (the film is codirected by Canadian filmmaker Paul Cowan). The doc gives provides some very necessary comic relief to the ongoing military occupation by Israel of the West Bank, and shows that grassroots non-violent organizing on the ground can produce results.