JERUSALEM--As the civil war in Syria rages on and Israel is concerned about warfare and trouble moving over the border, the cargo crossing the Israeli-Syrian border Monday seemed perfectly harmless: 500 goats.

Last week, inspectors from Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture quarantined a herd of goats, seized from a livestock enclosure in the Galilee village of Yarka, after the owner’s explanation of the unmarked, unregistered animals failed to convince them of his ownership.

Suspicions arose that the herd came from Lebanon or Syria.

Over the weekend, United Nations staff referred to Israel the complaint of a Syrian shepherd, who said his goats had gone missing while grazing in the border area around Mt. Hermon.


According to Israeli media, a short investigation followed the goat trail to reveal that an enterprising man from the Druze village of Majdal Shams, on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights, spotted the herd and smuggled it into Israel, where he sold it to a livestock dealer in Yarka.

In a coordinated effort of Israeli military and agriculture authorities and the United Nations, the purloined goats were returned to their owner in Syria on Monday, leaving Israeli army authorities to contemplate a potential security breach and how such movement in so sensitive an area went undetected.

ALSO:

U.S. envoy meets with Egypt’s interim leader


Francisco Vega officially wins Baja California governor’s race

Syrian rebel group demands hand-over of slaying suspect by faction