The Jordan Valley: constant harassment and threats against the Palestinian shepherds

Ein al-Hilweh, Friday, 17.05.2024

Three escorts came at 19:30 to be present at Ein al-Hilweh; that is, to stay there during the night to prevent a terrorist attack.

Ein al-Hilweh is near the settlement of Maskiot and a settlement next to Mashkiot, from which it receives water, electricity, and apparently, its budget.  Youths from the yeshiva in Maskiot and the hilltop youth in the settlement, harass the shepherds who are on their way to the al-Hilweh spring every afternoon, to water their herds of cows

P. hosted us for dinner and told us that two days before, the military security coordinator of Mashkiot noticed two of our escorts who were looking after P.’s cows while the cows drank from the spring.  He threatened P. and demanded not to bring escorts.

In the evening, two soldiers came to P., and they also demanded not to bring our escorts. They suggested that they, the soldiers, would guard the area. P. requested their phone number in case he needed to call them for help. However, they refused to give it. Out of fear of the military security coordinator, P. requested we leave for grazing at 05:00 so they wouldn’t notice that we were there.  This is how P. and his family are able to maneuver all the time in order to prevent any possible confrontation with the Jewish settlers. And indeed, escorts are no longer sleeping there and arrive only after they are called.  That night passed quietly and only at sunrise on Shabbat did we move to Parisia.

Parisyia, suturday , 18.05.2024

Different escorts arrived at 07:00 and split up among the various shepherds.  Three escorted N., who lives in an encampment next to the settlement of Beqa’ot.  On this day, N. grazes in the Tevunah field that belongs to him from the east side of Allon Road 578.  The grazing passed quietly and the herd of cows from the adjacent settlement didn’t appear that day.  The escorts and the shepherd were able to take a break to rest and have breakfast before they returned home.

A. went with three escorts for quiet grazing in the field that belonged to him, located opposite Parisia, where the crops were ripe.

Two additional escorts guarded the combine, that reaps crops in an area of tens of dunams.  This is a private area owned by a Palestinian (confirmed in Tabu) beneath the settlement of Eshael.  We were requested to go there after an incident two weeks ago when grazing without escorts, the shepherds were attacked by settlers. One was injured and the glass of a car was broken.

At Parisia, Sarah and I wandered among the families and helped the children with their approaching final exams. We enjoyed tea, coffee, cheese,

All of the escorts left on Shabbat at 17:00, after a quiet day with no incidents.  However, unfortunately for the shepherds, the settlers couldn’t help creating problems. After about an hour we received a call from N., who was in the area of the Beka’ot settlement.  Neria, a settler, an owner of the settlement, took his cows to N.’s field of crops.  We called the valley’s communication center and the police, but they refused to accept a complaint without their presence in the area.  At 18:00 we hurried to N.’s field. He was waiting for us.  Because he feared a confrontation with the settler, he requested that we expel the cows from his field.  Again, we called the police and the administrative center of the valley.  The policeman, G., promised he would arrive in 25 minutes.  Tamar and I went out to the field and tried to chase away the cows by clapping our hands and shouting.  The cows apparently understood the message but continued to eat while roaming around N.’s field.  Neria, the owner of the herd watched us from a distance but didn’t make any effort to remove his cows.  The policeman arrived and told us that he had spoken with Neria and that Neria had indeed taken his cows out of the area (!). The policeman told us that if we wanted to place a complaint, we could do it through the Internet or at any police station.  We were not able to file a complaint because we needed a written complaint from N. The legal staff of the activists in the Jordan Valley are in touch with N. about this harassment.  N. still hasn’t decided what to do, probably because he fears that a complaint will only worsen the situation.

We returned to sleep in Parisiya. The night passed quietly with no cries of distress. 

This is the life of the Palestinians.  From minute to minute, there is no certainty about what will happen, and this was just one comparatively quiet day!