Within this bonus podcast episode, we explore the “Black Goat Act” with Rabea Eghbariah. The Black Goat Act, imposed by the Israeli government in 1950, criminalized the possession and herding of black goats, targeting the most abundant livestock animal in Palestine and centuries-old farming tradition. Enacted by colonial powers and without scientific rationale, we discuss the different ways Israel has used and enforced this legislation throughout history to further its agenda of Palestinian erasure and dispossession.

This podcast was created in collaboration with Columbia University's Center for Palestine Studies, Lifta Volumes (@liftavolumes), Lena Mansour (@lenamansour), and hosted by Cher Asad (@Cher.Asad) with support from Columbia University's SOF/Heyman, Columbia Global Centers Amman, and the Columbia University's Center for Archaeology. 

In this episode, we explore the criminalization of three popular edible plants within Palestine with our guest Rabea Eghbariah. Zaatar, akkoub, and mirimiya are famously associated with Palestine, and yet there is currently a legal ban on their picking, possession, and trade. We discuss the cultural and economic history of these plants within Palestine as well as the history and significance of the legal ban by the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority.

Music: Three Colors by Podington Bear. Three Colors by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-Non Commercial 3.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Fathomless_-_Ambient/Three_Colors

In the inaugural episode of Palestine: In Between, I'll be speaking with Raya Ziada of Manjala, a grassroots cultural and agricultural initiative within Palestine as well as Yara Dowani, a manager and farmer at Om Sleiman farm, the first CSA in Palestine. We'll be discussing the unique challenges faced by farmers within the Occupied West Bank's Area C, ancestral agricultural Palestinian practices being revived today, agroecology, and how sustainable farming can be a path to food sovereignty for Palestinians. 

Music: Three Colors by Podington Bear. Three Colors by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-Non Commercial 3.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Fathomless_-_Ambient/Three_Colors