Jordan Valley, Rashash: Accompanying Palestinian shepherds in the Jordan Valley
06:30 – 09:30
Rashash, (above the Jordan Valley, off the Alon Road) early morning – the day after Bibi’s promise of annexation of the Jordan Valley – which has been already happening on the ground, with the clear policy of the army, the settlers, and the higher authorities to clear area C of Palestinians. Often letting the unruly hilltop youth do the dirty work.
A quiet day of grazing, despite the appearance of the ‘responsible adult’ in the illegal outpost of “Angels of Peace” (sic). He makes a few phone calls. No, this time, he does not call the drop-out, marginal boys, whom he educates at his outpost in the way of the overlords – and who regularly run their horses or all-terrain vehicles into the Bedouin herds scaring them to death. Nor does his Im Tirtzu friend appear, who is always out to attack us, the activists who accompany the shepherds. Elhanan, the head- settler leaves after walking around us for a while.
An army jeep drives by, but the soldiers do not get off. This hill is private Palestinian property, and it contains a well from which the Bedouin water their goats and sheep. It is non-negotiable, the Bedouin will not give up their right to this land.
A-Rashash
See all reports for this place-
A-Rashash was founded by the patriarch of the family, Haj Suleiman, who fled in 1948 from Tel Amal near Tivon. He leased land around the valley from one of the Palestinian residents and raised a glorious family that today consists of three family heads numbering about 100 people, with electricity from solar panels and water that they bring in trailer tanks from Ein Samia. There is no school there and the children attend an elementary school in the village of Duma, which is over the mountain at a distance of about 5 kilometers, and leave when they reach high school.
The daily life of the residents of the place consists of trying to avoid the machinations and damage of the settlers of the settlements and outposts that surround their village, and to protect the grazing lands of the sheep that remain in their possession. At the same time there is the constant threat of the orders of the civil government carried out by the army. About 3 years ago the residents decided to give up the extensive grazing areas and the access to the Ein Rashash spring and they graze around the encampment and buy feed for the sheep for a lot of money.
After the outpost hooligans managed to drive out the residents of Ras a Tin, Ein Samia and Kaboun, hence began the severe day-and-night harassment of of A Rashash. Since August 2023, the Jordan Valley activists have been holding 24/7 vigils in the pastoral communities to protect them and encourage them to stay on their land. There are refreshing responses, but not enough to provide the residents with long-term protection. You are Welcome to join.
-
Jordan Valley
See all reports for this place-
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.
Sarah PostecDec-27-2026Hammam al-Malih: Border Guard and settlers in the compound
-