The Jordan Valley: Visiting families and meeting old acquaintances
Rina Tzur and I went to the Palestinian Jordan Valley in my pickup truck, heavy-laden with equipment that Rina Collected for Palestinian families. We left Hod Ha-Sharon at 10:30 a.m. A waiting line of Palestinian cars were being inspected by Israeli soldiers at the Tapuach-Zaatara checkpoint. The Hamra checkpoint was open, without soldiers. We proceeded directly to Khalat Makhoul. There we met Burhan, Yusef and Ashraf. We sat in Burhan’s tent with Ashraf. Burhan’s family is now in Tamoun and only he ad the sheep have remained in the heavy heat of the encampment. We looked at pictures of his son Ahmad happily playing in the Tamoun kindergarten and heard about the plan- that will hopefully materialize – of founding a kindergarten for them and the Al Hadidiya community. We took down a large part of the cargo Rina had collected, and Burhan’s daughter will distribute it among needy families.
From there we continued to the Awad brothers’ encampment (“big” Mohammad and “little” Mohammad). The place was totally empty. Some of the sheds were torn but others whole. There was no one there. We gathered they had left, but where to? There was no one to ask.
From there we proceed to the Jiftlik, to Aude Ka’abana’s family, whose home had been demolished by the occupation forces and whose baby daughter was killed in a road accident and his wife seriously injured. Everyone was happy to see us. Sara, the wife, still appeared in shock from the accident but compared to her state at the hospital earlier, she looked much better. Next week they will get back their tractor (to which the platform was attached during the accident. Aude asked us for tarpaulins to repair their shed, that looked torn. His mother was there too – a good looking and intelligent woman – and his father who was so glad we came. We sat with them in the tent and they told us about the activity of the Palestinian lawyer who has been in charge of the affair vis-à-vis the insurance company. There too we unloaded blankets, clothes, shoes and household utensils. We felt how glad they were that we continue to visit them.
We returned to Hod Ha-Sharon at 6 p.m.
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.
May-10-2025A Shabbat treat for settlers: evicting Palestinian shepherds from their homes
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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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