We drove to Um Al Khir to talk with Eid Suliman whom we had not met during our last shift.  We decided to count the settlements and illegal outposts known as shepherds’ farms) on the way.  We had read about a new outpost in the reports, but there is no overall picture.

Route 60 – Israeli flags are flying along the entire route apparently to demonstrate sovereignty.
1. Avraham Farm (also called Mor Farm) next to the older settlement of Tene – Omarim

2. Meitarim Farm (belonging to Yinon) – opposite Zuta.  A bulldozer is levelling the area.  There are vineyards on the hills.

Route 317:

There were a lot of cars with Palestinian license plates parked in the Meitarim industrial zone.  They are not allowed to enter Israel, but they work here helping the settlements to flower.  They are helping the occupied lands to flower instead of Israel.

3. A new farm to the south near Asahel, which is an illegal outpost that was illegal outpost that became a “legal settlement” within the framework of “young settlements”.  We saw construction work in Asael being carried out energetically.
4. Yisrael Kaplan’s farm Makneh Yehudah – This farm harassed and evicted native residents such as the late Abu –Sefi.
5. Mitzpeh Kedem Farm –  Behind Assael

6, 7, 8 – Three farms in the area of ancient Sussia including the farm belonging to Shem-Tov Lusky who is often mentioned here, near the older settlement of Sussia.

9. Daroma Farm further on, opposite Khalat Al Daba. This is also an illegal outpost that has become a legal settlement last week, opposite Mitzpeh Avigai which is also an illegal outpost that has been designated as a legal settlement.
10. The reputed Maon Farm, an older and violent settlement known for years of violence against children from Palestinian villages in the area when they are on their way to school in Twani.
11. Isakhar Man, near the older settlements of Maon and Carmel.  A tourist path has recently been built between them along  the road on the hills.  The path is being built by Palestinian workers.  At the junction to Route 356 we drove towards Um al Khair.
12. Sharshim Farm further on, in the direction of the Zvidin opposite Hashem El Daraj. Further along there is a settlement that was established by  people who live in a building that once belonged to the Jordanian army.    We counted a total of 19 communities, including illegal outposts and settlements.

Um Al Khir

We met Eid and other residents of the village in the well-kept center of this harassed village – testimony to the power of vitality and perseverance.   Ein told us about a frustrating trip he had taken together with Ouda the teacher.   He had flown to San Francisco at the invitation of Jewish organizations  to participate in tours of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities in the northwest United States.  However, they were denied entry at the  airport in San Francisco without knowing why.  Their phones were blocked and they could not call an attorney or  their hosts.   After a day they were evicted and sent to Qatar and they succeeded in returning to the Palestinian Authority via the Allenby Bridge.

A delegation of high-ranking army officers entered the village.  They entered and stood to confer with each other opposite the entrance without approaching the residents at all as is they did not exist and were transparent.

This is repulsive behavior on the part of army officers.  Who do they think they are entering a place and ignoring the residents without greeting them?  Soldiers relate to animals they find in Gaza with more humanity.

We left feeling ashamed.

After several days Eid wrote the residents of the outpost of Carmel had begun to move the fence into the area of the village.  Meanwhile this action was stopped by the army, apparently because the residents had complained.