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Jordan valley south, Ouja: Accompanying Palestinian herders

Place: Jordan Valley
Observers: Rita (reporting) Arik Asherman (driving) Aviv (driving), Adam, Dor, Batsheva, and another car from the north, with Hagai and Ido.
Mar-27-2018
| Morning

Jordan valley south: grazing peacefully, at least for now, in the disputed fields Photo: Rita Mendes Flohr

06:00 – 11:30

 southern Jordan valley, not far from Omer’s farm.

Accompanying Palestinian herders not far from Ouja in the southern Jordan valley – with no interference from the army or the settlers.

We split into two groups of four, one group in Ouja East and we are across the road to Mevo’ot Yericho, on the side of Omer’s farm.

 

An aggressive female soldier came out of a jeep as we were still waiting for the herds to arrive, and belted out: what are you doing here? We said we were waiting for the shepherds, and she yelled out, they can’t come here. We said there is no valid order preventing them from doing so. “THERE, they have ALL that territory where they can freely roam” – as she points to the bare desert with not a blade of grass…

but she did not return, though she threatened to produce a closed military zone order. Nor did any other soldiers bring us such an order. I guess they were busy preparing for Passover, or more likely, for the feared events of Land Day, and could not bother with issuing yet another order at the behest of the settlers at Omer’s farm that is illegal even according to Israeli law

 

 

  • 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.  
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