Accompanying shepherds in the Jordan Valley
Khalet Makhul is surrounded on all sides by military bases and settlements. They’re guarding it so nothing will happen, God forbid. On the north: Umm Zuka on the hilltop, beyond it a Kfir unit’s base, an additional base to the east for maneuvers, and above it, slightly eastward –
We accompanied Yusef Bisharat’s flock at Khalet Makhul. The flock is relatively large. Three of his sons also went with us. School has been suspended because of the Coronavirus. The illness seems to be spreading there, like among us. But without the noise.
The grazing proceeded uneventfully. We climbed and descended hills and valleys and arrived at the southeast, above the military base and next to the unfriendly, unpleasant Hemdat settlement.
We stopped for the sheep to graze and have something to eat ourselves. We exercised, did headstands, drank tea brewed over a small fire.
Palestinians are working all along the road digging a ditch lined with metal netting and plastic sheeting, which will then be filled in so that the rains don’t flood the road. Of all that’s lacking here, that’s what they choose to upgrade.
We returned early in order to reach the veterinary center in time, to find out the reason lambs in the area are dying.
The rain and cold make the sheep ill. The reason isn’t always clear. Maybe that’s the reason.
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.
Daphne BanaiApr-7-2026Al-Farsiyya. Ruthie and Michael prevent the assailants from going down to A's camp
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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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