We arrived at the Palestinian Jordan Valley on Saturday, at 6 a.m., leaving behind us the alarm sirens in Tel Aviv, and split into teams that would accompany shepherds as they leave for grazing, their only source of income. The point of this accompaniment6 is to guard
nd stop colonist harassment who have the entire army backing them up nearly everywhere and in every incident.

The morning went by peacefully in all grazing areas. At Ein Sukut, the Sukut spring live the men shepherds from Al Farisiya, leaving their families on their own. The reason is that nearly all grazing grounds in the Jordan Valley who had been theirs from time immemorial are now out of bounds for them. The colonists backed up by the highest authorities have appropriated them and prevent any entrance to them. At Ein Sukut the shepherds leased corn fields in order to feed the animals corm cobs left after the harvest, as well as the same with wheat and barley fields. The sheep munched the cobs unhampered, and we lay down beside them.

Not far from Ein Sukut, another team accompanied S. from Al Farisiya at the Al Hameer area.  S. has been occasionally threatened by colonists who wish to expel him from Area C into the town of Tubbas. He too has leased a private barley and corn fields for the cobs, and here too the sheep ate their fill. The shepherd took them at times to drink water in an area reached by the water pipe that the owner of the fields has fixed to irrigate the farm produce.

Another team accompanied F. from Ein Al Hilwa who went up to graze in the hills. This time he distanced himself further away looking for grass and spent about an hour there more than usual. Any quiet moment was used for unhampered grazing, and back home they all went down to Ein Al Hilwa spring to water the livestock.

At 10 a.m. the sheep and cattle already voted with their legs and we were glad to get back to Al Farisiya, share tea and coffee, visit the families and especially rest in this searing heat.

At Bardala another team of protective presence (staying with families around the clock) while M. and his workers picked melons and watermelons, unhampered by the colonists.

At 12 noon, still, trouble brewed. N. from Al Maqassar called to tell us that army was seen at his neighbor’s. We drove there immediately but the army and police had already left. They came to check vehicle licenses of tractors, and left. We stayed there for a short visit, had tea and heard sad stories. He has no more grazing grounds left! He takes the sheep out so they move a bit, and feeds them with the little barley he still has left. Because of the Iran war, all barley supply has stopped and he hopes things will be solved. In the meantime he occasionally sells five sheep in order to feed his family and buy barley for his sheep in the future.

Trouble arrives as usual, on Saturday afternoon.

So here is Sabbath “fun” of the Maskiyot (religious colony) youth, some of whom have been living in the outpost on the southern side of the road (opposite Ein Al Hilwa) leading to Tubbas: Two children in white Sabbath clothes, looking like 10-12 years old came down from Maskiyot at 5 p.m. and joined others coming to the arbor above Ein Al Hilwa. They arrived at Q.’s living quarters and threatened him, accusing him of taking down Israeli flags that the colonists had placed at the locality entrance. Why did you take down Israeli flags? Yes, you did this! If we see you doing that once again, we’ll attack you and have you arrested.

Children stand in front of adults, speak to them bossily, patronizing them, and they are clearly messengers of colonists interested in the next hullabaloo. But what can one do to the seemingly innocent children, still incomparably cruel. Any physical touching or raising one’s voice would imprison the inhabitants or immediately expel the community. Finally the volunteers convinced them to go back home and they left.

Ten other boys, 14-16 years old, came down to S.’s other encampment and could not be stopped. They even entered the family’s living quarters. Any attempt to convince them to leave just made them more resolute and they grew more and more blunt. One of them even slapped the father S. to the other boys’ cheers. The accompaniers stood and photographed this and made sure not to be provoked, not hit back, for immediately the police would arrive and this locality too would be expelled. The summoned police did not bother coming.

After they had their bit of fun, the white shirts went on to bathe in the spring and pray their evening prayers.

The lords of the land 2025-version are on top.

Night went by quietly. At 5:30 a.m. we drove to Ein Sukut to make sure the flock goes over the corn cob field unhampered by colonists.

We went back home to our safe space, as the week shook with Iranian bombs.