Ein Shibli: Settler violence grows. The army stands by idly.
07.30 – 13.00
The higher you go, the more you see of the village of Ein Shibli, populated mostly by Bedouin refugees from the 1948 war.
We ascend with the herd in the direction of the neat dirt road leading to the ranch of the settler Coco, a man with a rich resume of abuse and violence against the Palestinian shepherds who live with their families across the hills.
We are with the flock (goats and sheep) down in front of Coco’s cows, and on the mountain above us a herd of 600 goats belonging to a shepherd now in custody, because he defended himself firmly against Coco’s dog, who was sicced by Coco against the shepherd.
On Friday (24.12) there was a burst of violence here against the shepherds and the herd and so we feel relief as the herd descends today in peace.
Yesterday we went to visit the family of the arrested goat herder. The volunteers who accompany shepherds in the Jordan Valley are not in contact with this family.
We don’t always manage to accompany those who need it.
Addendum
Residents of the Ein al-Hilweh area told me about the abuse of shepherds by settlers from the same area last Saturday (25.12). According to them, the settlers from the ranch and their friends arrived in dozens of vehicles of various types, including ATVs. The settlers attacked the people and the herds, beat, broke phones as the shepherds tried to take pictures. The soldiers stood aside and watched.
Results: 8 shepherds were arrested and brought in for questioning. The legal proceedings will continue on Wednesday.
I asked who photographed the incident, they explained to me that there is no photographic documentation because near and far the attackers broke mobile phones.
Who grazes the herds?
the children.
Now the exam period ends and the vacation begins. It’s good that the kids are home.
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.
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