Rashash, Jordan Valley: a peaceful morning with the Bedouin shepherds

Place:

'Anabta

A Rashash

Jordan Valley

Tags:

Accompanying Palestinian shepherds in the Jordan Valley

Observers:

Rita Mendes-Flohr reporting and photographing, Guy Hirshfeld driving

Oct-30-2019

Morning

Rashash, Jordan Valley: the Bedouin herd grazing peacefully

Photo:

Rita Mendes-Flohr

Bedouin’s donkey grazing above the Jordan Valley

Photo:

Rita Mendes-Flohr

Rashash: the school children on their hike past the Bedouin tents

Photo:

Rita Mendes-Flohr

7 am to 10 am

A beautiful, peaceful morning with the Palestinian Bedouin shepherds at Rashash above the Jordan Valley. No settlers came to threaten the peace, as they did just yesterday, when the aggressive hilltop youth from the adjacent outpost "Angels of Peace" drove into the herd on an off-road vehicle and scared the herders away.

The only youngsters we saw were groups of school children on a nature hike on the marked trail to the Rashash spring and down to the Jordan valley. They did not scare the Bedouin, who are used to such outings just past their tents, but those children, most likely from the settlements, certainly see this as their land. They know no other reality.

Location Description

Anabta checkpoint

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The checkpoint is located south of the village of Anabta, at the intersection of Road 60 (leading to Nablus at the entrance to Area A), with Road (57, 557, 5576) facing west towards the Einav settlement and the checkpoint at the exit from the West Bank - Figs checkpoint.
Until 2010 we used to watch the intersection and report the long columns created due to a slow inspection of the vehicles in both directions.

Oct-29-2011

Anabta checkpoint 24.10.11

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Hamra (Beqaot)

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One of the Jordan Rift Valley checkpoints that prevent direct transit between the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, in addition to Tayasir Checkpoint. Located next to Hamra settlement, on Route 57 and the Allon Road.

Read about the peple of the Jordan Valley and the quiet transfer happening there.

Nov-4-2021

Shahar Shiloh

Ein Shibli: grazing begins close to home

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Jordan Valley

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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.

Apr-15-2024

Nava Toledano

Distribution of food to the besieged shepherd communities

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A Rashash

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Rashash was founded by the patriarch of the family, Haj Suleiman, who fled in 1948 from Tel Amal near Tivon. He leased land around the valley from one of the Palestinian residents and raised a glorious family that today consists of three family heads numbering about 100 people, with electricity from solar panels and water that they bring in trailer tanks from Ein Samia. There is no school there and the children attend an elementary school in the village of Duma, which is over the mountain at a distance of about 5 kilometers, and leave when they reach high school.

The daily life of the residents of the place consists of trying to avoid the machinations and damage of the settlers of the settlements and outposts that surround their village, and to protect the grazing lands of the sheep that remain in their possession. At the same time there is the constant threat of the orders of the civil government carried out by the army. About 3 years ago the residents decided to give up the extensive grazing areas and the access to the Ein Rashash spring and they graze around the encampment and buy feed for the sheep for a lot of money.

After the outpost hooligans managed to drive out the residents of Ras a Tin, Ein Samia and Kaboun, hence began the severe day-and-night harassment of of A Rashash. Since August 2023, the Jordan Valley activists have been holding 24/7 vigils in the pastoral communities to protect them and encourage them to stay on their land. There are refreshing responses, but not enough to provide the residents with long-term protection. You are Welcome to join.