This morning in the valley the temperature reached 113°F (45°c), but we decided to join the shepherds both in the field and for the ‘protective presence’ (staying around the clock for protection) in their dwellings.

The settlers, on the other hand, didn’t even bother to disturb the Palestinians or send their “Ravshatz” (acronym for community appointed military security coordinator) to see what was happening. Therefore, we were able to accompany the herds of H. and P. in Ein el Hilweh without interference. The herds of cows that returned from grazing in the mountains at night passed by the spring area to quench their thirst. The settlers have already taken possession of the spring and installed their own wading and bathing pool, but the water flows all around and the cows are content with it. The teams make sure to accompany the shepherds there in case the settlers try to interfere and steal even the last bit of water from them.

Three escorts  remained in Farisiya for a protective presence. The others went to Bardela to watch over farmer M. and his workers while they harvested the watermelons. M. owns 300 dunams of various crops, and now the watermelons and melons are ripening. The settlers from a new outpost established nearby 3 months ago are violent, and the farmer and his workers must be protected from them. They even threatened him once in his home with a gun pointed at his temple.

The escorts joined in the harvest while they were there (6 hours) and even returned with a gift of 10 watermelons for the residents of Farisiya. At 3:00 PM we set out again for the harvest despite the intense heat. The cows of shepherds H. and M. were watered in the spring before they went out to graze in the mountains at night.

But at this hour, when the sun becomes less intense, the settlers do not give up and come out of their holes to do their daily work. This time it was 6 boys aged 14-16 who came down from the settlement of Maskiyot to abuse the shepherds. They crossed the spring and went to S.’s house across the road, but the six escorts who were staying nearby stopped them, and the heat probably also took its toll. Four of them left without further harassment and returned to their parents’ house.

But two others did not give up, returned through the field near the house of shepherd P. and chased his cows, even though the escorts tried in every way and without violence to stop them.

The “Ravshatz” of Maskiyot got out of his car and parked on the road, watching the Cossack boys from afar, and making sure from afar that no harm came to the Cossack boys as they completed their abusive work.

Shepherd P. returned home and told his escorts that under these conditions his death was better than his life. He could no longer bear the suffering of his family and the suffering of the cows. He could not bear the silence of the police and the army, who, rather than helping, were aiding and abetting  the evil-doing of those young people, who were convinced that this was our land and that the Palestinians should leave here (and us with them).

The same Ravshatz arrived at Shepherd M.’s and asked him who had accompanied him to the spring. When he replied that the escorts were there so that the settlers would not harass him, the Ravshatz told him to stop using us, as it was only because of us that the Jewish boys were harassing him.

At night, the teams remained in protective presence at Ein El Hilweh and Farisiya. The night was warm and pleasant, and the dinner we were invited to was very tasty.

An hour later, the peace was broken and did not last. At 9:00 PM, four settlers appeared in an ATV – Gilad Amosi, Bentzi  from Masakiyot and their friends – and settled in the watchtower that was specially built above Farisiya. This is another way to terrorize the shepherds, exhaust them and make them abandon their homes.

They sat there for a while and continued their intimidating tour on the path which surrounds the village, backed by the belief that God bequeathed the land only to Abraham and his sons. When they began to approach the residents’ homes, we called the escorts from Ain al-Hilwe. An ugly argument ensued, punctuated by curses such as “you old men with dried-up brain cells,” etc. Finally, they returned to the bench in the observation deck to drink coffee (they ever-so-kindly invited us to join them), and we stayed to guard until they were safely gone. Another ATV tried to break through from another direction near A’s house in Lower Farisiya, but they retreated and returned to the Rotem settlement.

The rest of the night passed quietly.

Another day of occupation had passed.