Jordan Valley: slaughter, grafitti, kitchen cleaning - partnership in a harsh reality
The way to the Jordan Valley is changing in a maddening Smotrich-like pace. Structures appear on hill tops, tracks are hewn to the length and breadth of the entire West Bank, apparently the colonist track declared this week. Road 505 is being widened at breakneck speed. One loses one’s mind until one gets to the Jordan Valley.
This is the day of distributing scholarships to the students, as well as time in Samra and Makhoul. We began in Samra with the sacrifice of a young sheep. “We slaughter a sheep several times a year”. The whole process except for the first detail is done in our full view, professionally – taking off its hide, taking out its inners. A biology lesson as the young sheep is sacrificed. The old lady turns the gut into a long tube that would later be filled with rice. In the meantime, we shall eat the heart and liver for the health of the family that will consume a lot of protein in one day.
Today’s art was concentrated on grafitti inside the tent.
A., the Butcher, Spray-Paints the Sights Close to His Life in One Precise Line
With M., we continued giving out scholarships to students in several communities – Samra, Ein al Hilwe, Makhul and others. Three students are registered on our list. We reached the community near Farisiya, called Farisiya Al Hameer, west of the Allon Road near Mekhola colony. The side used to be populated by many families, but in recent years Mekhola expanded by fencing and stealing privately-owned Palestinian lands, and built a large schoolhouse and other structures. Since then, most families either left or were expelled so that now only two families are left, forced to suffer their imposed proximity to colonists.
We drove to visit R.’s family at Makhul. Most of the older children were alone and welcomed us warmly. We decided to surprise their parents, and together we cleaned the kitchen. This was the most fun part of the day – the children are full of energy and ready to do everything. And this is the place to answer Anat’s question, what this activity holds for us…
The shared work, the realized importance of cleanliness, their and our need to take part, our joyful learning from them and giving them our capabilities, that whole feeling of partnership inside this catastrophic situation – there’s nothing like it. They see us as a part of their family, wait for us, lean on us and know they will not receive everything. At the end, that change, creation, joy, are a mixture of good things. You might regard this as negative. We’ll be happy to hear what you have to say. The untaken photo of children sitting around a bucket of water and soap and washing the dishes with Bosmat could perhaps convince you. Some things are not always understood but reality wins out.
At the same time, the trial of I. from Makhul takes place in Salem. He is represented by Attorney Leah Tzimel, and happily goes home, 1000 NIS having gone over to the occupation laundromat… Makhul had a field day, phone calls from uncles and aunts all over the Valley.
On our way home, the sky had its say. Sheep and feather clouds looked with wonder at this strange earth.
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 AfekOct-1-2026Samra. Blowing Up Lungs
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Khalet Makhul
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Khalet Makhul
A small settlement of a shepherd community located on the way to the settlement of Hemdat. Two nearby outposts make life miserable for the Palestinians, who make a living from grazing, and the army backs the settlers. As a result, the possible grazing areas are getting smaller.
The local children attend school in the settlement of Ein Al-Beida. Long lines of 3 hours sometimes stretch out at the Hamra and Tayasir checkpoints leading to the town of Tubas, making it difficult to get water, supplies, and sell the cheese, milk, and meat that the residents produce for their living.
Following a deadly attack at the Tayasir checkpoint in February 2025, the checkpoint was closed completely for the time being.
(Updated March 2025)
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Khirbet Samrah
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