North of the Jordan Valley: Settlers rampage the Palestinian residents without interruption
Friday, August 16th
We arrived at Al Farisiya at noon. Two accompanier women stayed there for protective presence (spending 24 hours with the Palestinians), while two went on for protective presence at Al Sakut.
At Farisiya, a locality of 4 Palestinian shepherd families, there are now only the women and children. The men went on with the flock for summer grazing at En Al Sukut on Palestinian-owned land. In this very dry season, there are plenty of grass and water there.
The inhabitants of Al Farisiya suffer from permanent harassment by the colonists of Tene Yaroq, an outpost of Rotem colony. Rotem colonists are complicit with this violence whether in practical terms or by ignoring and retaining their indifference to what the outpost colonists keep doing.
The colonists of Tene Yaroq (among them is Didi and his son Gil’ad, the Amosi family and youth who join them for short periods of time) prevent the shepherds from reching their own grazing grounds in which they have grazed their flocks for years. They summon the army claiming that they are endangered, scatter the flocks with ATVs, and break into Farisiya and even to homes with their ATVs, throw food on the ground and frighten the women and children. Their purpose is one: make the villagers leave the Palestinian Jordan Valley and move to Tubas. Ethnic cleansing.
At En Al Sakut, too, the colonists of nearby Shadmot Mechola colony harass the shepherds. They break things (for example the side mirrors of one of the accompaniers),
and occasionally try to steal the flock. If the police does come when summoned by the shepherds/accompaniers, they do nothing beyond taking testimonies.
The intimidations work. This week En Al Sukut shepherds decided to give up grazing near Shadmot Mekhola colony. One of their neighbors even decided to give up summer grazing and move elsewhere within one week. Thus, step by step, the colonists obtain what they are after all along: reducing the Palestinians’ grazing grounds and coaxing them to leave.
Another two accompaniers stayed at Umm Al Jamal, a Bedouin locality near En Al Hilwa, on the way to Tubas. Last week a new outpost was erected there that has no name yet. The inhabitants there, however, already behave as though they own the place and walk around the Bedouins’ houses, chasing their flocks with threats. The 10 families of Umm Al Jamal decided to evacuate the place out of fear and began to pack up. They asked us to stay with them at least until they manage to transfer the flock and family to Palestinian lands near Tyassir Junction and Tubas. Legal attempts are being made to return them to their place.
The army, afraid to confront the colonists, has recommended the men-shepherds to pack up and leave tonight already, and the Palestinians understood that they have nothing to expect in the line of aid, and left. Volunteers joined the protective presence at Farisiya.
Saturday, August 17th
In the morning the volunteers came back for protective presence, to enable the men left there to pack up. They said that the colonists walk around and celebrate this expulsion with shouts and songs. Practically speaking they have not disturbed the packing up.
At mid-day, B. from Khalat Makhoul told us that colonists on their ATV have showed up at his place and threatened him. He asked us to come and spend the night there, but we had not enough volunteers, and remained at Farisiya and En Al Sukut. We asked him to call us if the colonists come. The night passed quietly.
Protective presence of the accompaniers passed quietly on Friday and Saturday, but uncertainty and tension are constant companions, and the shepherds keep asking not to be left alone.
Sunday, August 18th
At 10 a.m., a minor drama took place. Gil’ad and his pals from Tene Yaroq came to the track leading to Farisiya and began to plant posts for flags or a fence. We stood facing them quietly and would not enable them to continue. At the same time we called the police, who first refused to receive details and only finally did, and promised to send a police car. The did not, passing the matter on to the army. The army did not come, but Gil’ad collected his tools and left. Perhaps he was called by the brigade commander and told to postpone this act to a better time. The rest of the day passed quietly.
Pressure of expulsion increases, the sheep have no feed and sales of meat are at a halt because of the dire financial situation. These days people make do with fowl.
Can we halt ethnic cleansing?