Jordan Valley: Jewish settlements continue to grow
“My life is herding sheep. Like a bird that will die if you clip its wings, I won’t be able to live if I can’t herd sheep.” – Iman from Samra
Expanding settlements – We saw 12 new prefab homes in the settlement of Mekora. That were erected there this week. We also saw new houses like these in the settlement of Bekaot.
Homsa – We visited all the shepherd communities in the valley behind Bekaot. Two years ago, when the families were evicted because of military exercises, a rocket was fired on the kitchen tent and all the utensils were smashed. The constant threat, together with the threats of demolition, harass them. “I was born here. My family was evicted from the Negev and then from the Southern Hebron Mountains. But I don’t have any connection there, my home is only here!” In one of the communities the women approached us and offered to return the lean-to that we offered them as shelter from the sun during exercises, when they are evicted from their homes.
The severe drought has done extensive damage to the flocks. The shepherds had to buy food for their sheep all summer because the fields had no dry grass for them to eat. They are not forced to buy peanut shells to feed their flocks.
Samra – The three brothers closed their tents and moved to the town of Tubas for the difficult summer months. When they returned two weeks ago they found that all their belongings – the refrigerator, the television set, beds, and everything they owned. They want to go out to tend their flocks but are afraid to leave the tent site and wander close by for fear of the settlers. They bought dried stems of tomato plants to feed the flocks.
Ein El Hilwa Junction – The police stopped a car and released it when we arrived. Three young people were also released before we arrived. They began walking because the car had continued on its way without them while they were detained for a half hour. They looked pale and sweaty as they walked towards Tubas.
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.
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