Response to “An Arab Shepherd Is Searching for His Goat on Mount Zion” – How does the poet bear witness to tragedy or more difficult aspects of human life?

Although I believe that this poem hinting to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Amichai also uses the poem to express additional symbolism. An initial reading of the poem suggests that the setting of the poem is the Old City of Jerusalem which is one of the key points of the conflict, the reality is that the poem takes place to the west of the old city. This can be derived from the fact that Mount Zion is West of the Old City and the temple mount and the Sultan’s Pool is to the west of Mount Zion. I believe that Amichai chose this setting to suggest that the points of modern conflict are not worth the fight and blood loss. Rather, allowing residents to live peacefully throughout the contested land should be the ultimate goal.

Additionally, Amichai references “Had Gadya” which is a song sung by Jews during the Passover seder (Ritual Feast on the first two nights of the holiday). Had Gadya starts by stating that a father bought his son a goat, the goat is then eaten by a cat, which is eaten by a dog, which is beaten with a stick, which is burned with fire, which is extinguished with water, which an ox drinks, which a butcher kills, who is then killed by the angel of death, who is removed by God. Amichai uses this reference to suggest that those in conflict should avoid becoming part of the “machine” that the song alludes to. Instead, they should worry about keeping their own kin safe by taking proper precautionary measures and working towards peace.