Jordan Valley: The checkpoints are back to their 2000’s routine
Trip there and back with Nina, a student from Dusseldorf who spent one semester at the Tel Aviv University. This is her first trip to the Occupied Territories, before returning home.
She is a part of ‘Protective Presence’ vigil at Al Farisiya, and I am busy at Khalet Makhul. Back to my ‘roots’, my past activity – a full day of work, children, women, great joy.
The most prominent occupation pastime in this landscape is the return of the checkpoints to their 2000’s routine. Stories of endless detentions without any explanation. Nablus is besieged again. Names such as Beit Furik, Beit Iba, Deir Sharaf, En Bidan have all returned to the language and remind us of things we may have already forgotten. Passage at Huwarra is blocked. The practical thing to do is drive along bypass roads through tracks from villages such as Jama’in and others. Someone told me he had waited to get out of Nablus for four hours!
On our way back from the Valley, we ran into a waiting line of cars stuck at the Hamra checkpoint in all directions at 4 p.m.. Only Jews’ cars pass unhampered and oh-so-ashamed.
These searing hot summer days require a ventilator everywhere. Wind. And water. People are waiting for a French organization that promised them water… In the meantime settlers sabotage their water tankers…
Jordan Valley
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Jordan Valley The Jordan Valley is the eastern strip of the West Bank. Its area consists of almost a third of the West Bank area. About 10,000 settlers live there, about 65,000 Palestinian residents in the villages and towns. In addition, about 15,000 are scattered in small shepherd communities. These communities are living in severe distress because of two types of harassment: the military declaring some of their living areas, as fire zones, evicting them for long hours from their residence to the scorching heat of the summer and the bitter cold of the winter. The other type is abuse by rioters who cling to the grazing areas of the shepherd communities, and the declared fire areas (without being deported). The many groundwaters in the Jordan Valley belong to Mekorot and are not available to Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley. The Palestinians bring water to their needs in high-cost followers.
Nurit PopperDec-16-2027Nurit is threatened by settlers from close range.
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Khalet Makhul
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Khalet Makhul
A small settlement of a shepherd community located on the way to the settlement of Hemdat. Two nearby outposts make life miserable for the Palestinians, who make a living from grazing, and the army backs the settlers. As a result, the possible grazing areas are getting smaller.
The local children attend school in the settlement of Ein Al-Beida. Long lines of 3 hours sometimes stretch out at the Hamra and Tayasir checkpoints leading to the town of Tubas, making it difficult to get water, supplies, and sell the cheese, milk, and meat that the residents produce for their living.
Following a deadly attack at the Tayasir checkpoint in February 2025, the checkpoint was closed completely for the time being.
(Updated March 2025)
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