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Jordan Valley: Broken down and packing to leave their home of 40 years, Y.'s Palestinian family is attacked by settlers.

Observers: Shepherd Escorts - Sarah K., Dan S., Hagar, Nurit, Noga K., Gadi, Natalie. Mickey P. (Reporting) Translation: Danah E.
Mar-01-2025
| Morning

On Saturday, grazing in most places went quietly. One desperate and tired shepherd decided to leave. But dismantling and relocating the dwellings and sheep did not go quietly.

We arrived in the valley at 07.30. Two of us joined the pasture with A. They went far west into the mountains to a place where there is grass, and returned around 15.00. Two of us remained as protective presence in Farsiya, there were no problems throughout the day.

At Ein El Hilweh we accompanied M. and H., the pasture was quiet and the day was warm, and Bentzi’s outpost on the mountain showed no presence. Apparently they had declared it a Holy Shabbat. The cows were enjoying the abundant grass that had grown after the rains.

One sad incident – ​​a cow gave birth to a stillborn calf, possibly due to poor nutrition and a lack of the supplement that the shepherds buy with their meager money. She couldn’t leave it in the middle of the field, so she stood next to it and circled it, licking it in the hope that it would come back to life. M. lay the stillborn calf on his donkey because he wanted the cow to return with the herd to the pen, but she chased him and tried to attack him. She stood in the middle of the field with sad, tearful eyes. It was amazing to watch the maternal instinct that crosses all boundaries of animals and humans alike.

It was difficult for Y. Last week, the settlers from the Asa’el outpost established another new outpost very close to his village, about 300 meters away. They transported all the construction materials through his and his family’s village. After a month of incessant settler attacks, and in view of the new structure, and when he realized that with our meager resources we would not be able to help him stand up to them, Y. decided to move to a safer area around the town of Tamun. He asked us to stay while they packed the equipment, the pens, the tents, and gathered the herd for the transfer. He reported to us that the settlers were hanging around the community.

The escorts went up to check what was going on in the new outpost building, and discovered about ten Hilltop Youth there, with clubs under their shirts. We notified the army, which promised to protect against the settlers but did not arrive. The escorts stayed until internationals arrived to replace them at 6:30 p.m.

At 8:30 p.m. we received another call from someone saying that settlers were moving around and entering the outpost in a single car that was constantly bringing new settlers. He estimated that there were about 50 people staying in the outpost building. We got there, called the brigade commander and warned him that the settlers might attack the Palestinians who were packing their equipment into trucks. The Brigade commander sent the “Mount Zion” mobile unit, which made a round and informed him that there was no one in the outpost. We complained again to the brigade commander and he sent his second in command, we explained the situation to him. He went to the outpost and promised to send an army unit to guard the area and make sure the settlers would not interfere with the Palestinians’ departure and would not dare to escalate the situation.

At 01:00 we heard two soldiers walking around the area with weapons drawn, ostensibly to protect the residents… Y. asked for an escort in the next morning so that the settlers would not interfere with the herd’s transfer. The next day, Sunday, at 7:00, much-needed escorts arrived, as the settlers tried to tail the herd, which eventually reached its destination safely. Y’s dwelling was evacuated the next day, not before the settlers blew up the solar panels that Y. had not had time to dismantle. Today, at the entrance to the road entering the village that was abandoned after 40 years, the settlers planted the Israeli flag for the glory of the racist Jewish state. They are thus preparing to conquer and annex the next Palestinian village. At first, annexation de facto, and not far from now, it will be annexation de jure.

Sad! And terrible! And the world is silent.

Location Description

  • 'Ein al-Hilwe

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    • 'Ein al-Hilwe
  • Al-Farisiya / 'Ein a-sakut

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    • Al-Farisiya / 'Ein a-sakut

       
      A community of shepherds in the Jordan Valley.
      The families are exposed to harassment, abuse and, robbery from the settlers who come from outposts and settlements in that surrounded the community.
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