Jordan Valley
We entered Duma village, well known after Jewish murderers burnt to death a Palestinian family in its sleep. 2 little girls waved at us shyly, muttering “Shalom!” in Hebrew. A group of children, looking like 10 year olds, ran after our car crying “Welcome! What’s your name?”
We passed by En Al Beda and entered the local council in the middle of their meeting with representatives of the UN authority for development, who were discussing with them the possibility for drawing master-plans to develop infrastructures in the Palestinian Jordan Valley.
On our way we saw a small, modest-looking house surrounded by ‘paradise’. The owner recycles drink cans, car tires and stone and ceramic shards and decorates the fruit tree grove around her house. The result is amazing. The woman came out of the house followed by her children, and showed us her charming work. What an experience!
We visited Al Hema, the encampment that was demolished in September 2016 and again several months later. Right above them the Jewish settler-colonists have erected a new illegal outpost in spite of the cessation of work edict that was issued on it. No one has touched it and it is growing and developing by the week, uninterrupted.
Abu Rasma, the father of the family, spoke with us about daily harassment and violence on the part of the settler-colonists and under patronage of the Israeli army. A day before we came, settler-colonists ambushed his son on his way to graze his flock. While harassing him, they summoned the army that detained the son for 3 hours under some unclear pretext. Since then and to this day they fear to take out their flock to graze at the usual place in the hills, and remain near the tents, where they don’t really have any grazing left…
So you tell me – who is the terrorist here, Abu Rasma? Whose sole desire is to lead his sheep to pasture as he has been for the past 50 years, or those who lie in wait for him on horseback and mini-tractors, armed, or those soldier – our dear boys – who terrorize the inhabitants of the Palestinian Jordan Valley whose sole desire is to live their lives here in peace and quiet?
On our way we also popped in to En Al Hilwa and to Makhoul. In the photo – Rami whose mother we accompanied with concern when she carried him in her womb. He was born with serious heart defects and a single kidney.