Palestinian Arabs from the village of al-Mughayyir entered the grazing lands of the Metzudat David farm in Binyamin during Shabbat and scattered poisoned dates among the fodder.
A resident noticed two suspects who came out of an unauthorized structure adjacent to Alon Highway digging in the soil and alerted IDF forces.
The troops dispatched carried out searches but the Arabs managed to flee back to the house, and no evidence was found on the ground at that stage. Only later, when the shepherd arrived with his herd, he suddenly noticed several goats that began to show signs of poisoning and were dying. A thorough inspection of the area uncovered poisoned dates that had been scattered and a suspicious bottle.
One of the goats was saved following prompt treatment, but several more goats eventually died after a slow decline. After the incident, the IDF detained one of the suspects who had fled back to the village. A second suspect has not yet been arrested.
"The terror that Jewish travelers on the Alon Highway used to be subjected to is now borne by the farm that stands on the front line and guards the route," declared Evyatar Caro, the farm owner. "They are trying to intimidate us in every way so that we will withdraw, but this will not deter us for a moment. Our answer to terror will be to expand the grazing area and deepen our hold on the land."