Jordan Valley south: accompanying Palestinian herders near Ouja
Another morning of accompanying Palestinian herders near Ouja. Today, this herd was able to graze undisturbed by army and settlers in view of the Andarta Nun-Dalet.- the Memorial for the 54.
As we walked the herd back to Ouja-East, we got word that the second group did not fare so well. They were just on the other side of the Andarta Nun-dalet and were confronted by the new army commander. After they asked to see the order preventing them from being there, the rather aggressive officer was able to have one produced and brought to them – the usual ‘closed military zone’ order, with the appropriate map and valid till five in the evening. He promised a new one would be produced for the following day.
We had joined them at this point, and we were given five minutes to get off the land that the officer said belonged to the settler Omer , who has taken over huge tracts of land to build his farm, and is out to get the army to keep the Palestinian herders from grazing even a distance away. Even in the eyes of the Israeli government this farm is illegal – but it seems to play into the government’s plan to ultimately expel all Palestinians from area C that includes the Jordan Valley.
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.
Rachel AfekApr-23-2026Hamam al-Malih: Standing by the ruins of the school (from right): Peretz (volunteer), Omer Bar-Lev, the two lawyers, a fellow volunteer, and a friend of Omer
-