As soon as we arrived at 08:30 we was a group of settlers putting up steel fence posts around the community of Al Farsiya.  There were four or five “hilltop boys” and several more children who were on vacation from school and attending a day camp.  They were all busy putting up a fence.   We received instructions from the person responsible for the group of volunteers who accompany the shepherds not to speak to them, make contact, or approach the settlers, but to take photographs.

It was extremely hot and it was frustrating to see them working and hammering in fence posts with a post digger.  They continued from one post to the next and tomorrow the posts would be connected by a fence.   Al Farsiya would be a closed community.  Where would the flocks go out to pasture?  Would a settler stand guard and demand a permit to take the sheep out?  What will come next?

At this time of day the four men are not in the community, but are out far away in the pasture with their flocks.   Only the women and children and the elderly are at home looking at the settlers in silence.  The children were wandering around with nothing to do.  I was frustrated by our inability to do anything about the situation.  Another two volunteers were also sitting and watching and speaking on their phones and make sure that things were proceeding as they should.  Soon there would be a fence.

A ATV arrived with more equipment and a generator to connect the fence and contribute to the disorder.

One of the brothers from Farsiya decided to remove his sheep and leave.  The problem is that no one wants to buy sheep.    It is clear that without our presence they would no longer be there.  Most of the community from whom sheep had been stolen a week ago have already left.  The settlers steal sheep with the help of the army and the Palestinians have no protection.

When we met with one of the families the mother and children told us that they don’t sleep at night   They go outside and return to the house and pass the time.  Despite the fact that our escorts sleep there at night they are still afraid and don’t know what to do.

In another community the settlers are still making rounds on their ATVs but they are waiting to see what will happen.  It is clear to them that the same thing will happen to them today or tomorrow, and there is no answer.

Yesterday in a Zoom meeting we were told that we have to be the initiators and not merely to respond.   Everyone said what they were doing and everyone said something different.  We wish that we could do something – anything – that is effective.  Anything that we do will only harm the Palestinians later on.   We feel that we are helpless, the poor people are suffering, that our hands are tied, and we are broken-hearted.