Hadidia Jordan Valley: a protective presence and visiting friends at this cursed time
We drove a SUV with a hanger carrying furniture from a kindergarten that was closed down in Tel Aviv. We brought a large family (3 brothers with lots of children) in Hadidiya 3 tables and many chairs for all the children, most of them in kindergarten or elementary school – they were joyful.
Then I was at Khalat Makhoul. On the phone we hard that occupation began, which was confusing. I asked when did it stop? Along roads in the West Bank and Jordan Valley traffic looked normal. There is hardly any along the valley, as for months the road is being renovated. Overhead there were sheep and feather clouds, everything normal…
But everyone knew that this was not the day to be in Tul Karem or in the Al Far’a refugee camp. Sounded like news from Gaza. The minister promises not to harm innocent bystanders, they will only be asked to evacuate their homes to ‘safe’ places.
At Khalat Makhoul and Samara – quiet. Only phone calls coming from places where help is needed. Like the Ka’abanit community next to which is colonist Asael, and it is his turn to work his evil ways. Cattle accompanied by colonists penetrated their residential and grazing areas. Israeli shepherd accompaniers were immediately summoned. The colonists and their cattle were gone.
I must note that the accompaniers have become absolutely necessary in the Palestinian Jordan Valley these days. They are recruited at a moment’s notice to save situations. Some teams arrive to spend the night at encampments, and there are morning and noontime teams. Unceasing correspondence about everything moving in sight. Young they are, new to the occupation, and filled with courage. Still they manage to fight between themselves over nearly everything. As in any organization… Well, that’s not our business. It’s just that I have not run into occupation itself, only its incarnations.
Groups of colonists in varying sizes arrive to harass Palestinians, pursue them and destroy. No doubt, their aggressivity has reached its heights, rising perhaps because they are afraid that their days are numbered. And perhaps they are euphoric, feeling they are in charge and unthreatened. And other known reasons. God, let it finally be over…
Elsewhere, especially in Tyassir and Hamra, lately the checkpoints disrupt Palestinian life to a great extent. People are stuck there for hours on their way from the Valley to the West Bank hills and back.
Location Description
Jordan Valley
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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.
Rachel AfekApr-11-2025Samar, the girl from Faresya
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Khalet Makhul
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Khalet Makhul
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