Destroyed Palestinian homes at Um il Kheir July 6, 2024

Shabat July 6 in the South Hebron Hills with Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايش

Right at the turn off to Tweine, we are stopped by a soldier, clearly a settler (it seems most of the soldiers here are settlers) eager to find a bureaucratic excuse to deny us access to the Palestinian villages in area C.

He manages to hold us up for almost two hours, calling the police, who ultimately clarify the totally unfounded issue and we are let go - but with an order that forbids us from passing that intersection again, giving the settler- soldier some boost to his ego.

In the meantime, his army vehicle blocks the road, and the setter-soldier refuses to move it, so that two Palestinian teachers in one car and their students in a second car, cannot get to the final exam of their courses in time. The occupation demands a lot of patience, a lot of time just wasted in waiting and waiting and waiting (that that is the least of the occupation's evils).

We go to Um il Kheir instead, where we witness the destruction of several homes, that I posted about on June 26 with the video Facebook by Eidu Suleman, whose house was among those leveled completely.

Um il Kheir is right across the fence from the settlement of Carmel, that is most likely behind getting the authorities' concerted efforts to rid the area of Palestinians. And now a new outpost across the hills does the dirty work for them by physically attacking the Palestinian community on an almost daily basis.

But even clearing up the rubble is forbidden and must be stopped for fear it will invite further destruction. The Palestinians do not want the settlers to see that we are helping them, for that would anger the settlers more - and so we just wait around, just in case we are summoned in other emergencies.

THE BITTER LANDSCAPES OF PALESTINE

The Bitter Landscapes in Palestine by Margaret Olin and David Shulman is a book of protest against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians, but at the same time, it is very much a work of art. Like a symphony, a theatrical play, it is beautifully composed, drawing you right into the harsh and beautiful landscapes and life of the people of this disputed land, through poetic yet incisive words and photographs and an inspiring design. It is amazing how this very critical, political look at a harsh reality can coexist with poetry and art. It is precisely the art that pulls you in.

The many interludes between the book’s sections, that the writers named lahzat, (Arabic for ‘moments’) - tea breaks when time stands still, spotlights on one special human being – strikingly printed on a gray background, add to this poetic structure.

The first section sets the stage for the experience of being in the field with the shepherds and farmers by painting the stony landscape in word and image. The magical light of the early morning, and again the late afternoon blues that color the landscape can be overwhelming to the spirit.

In the following section, however, the beauty of the landscape, the dreamy light at dawn and dusk, is juxtaposed with what has become the overriding fact of life for Palestinians in Area C - the increasing attacks by settler thugs, often backed by the army, instilling fear and a sense of total insecurity. Attacks that limit the life-space, meager grazing grounds and farmlands of the shepherds and farmers, destroying their homes, frightening and stealing their sheep, impounding their farming equipment, drying up their water sources, to the point of driving away entire communities from their native lands.

Most of all, The Bitter Landscapes of Palestine invites the reader to experience being in the field with the shepherds and farmers (and the activists), to hear the voices of the Palestinians and the activists, join them in their daily outings, to grasp what their way of life means to them – and perhaps making it possible to understand the Palestinians’ ongoing perseverance, sumud, how they get the strength to go on, even when all their possessions have been destroyed, when all seems lost.

The book certainly throws me back to my own experience in these very landscapes. It was Peg Olin who introduced me to Taayush in 2015, first going out in the South Hebron Hills, and later in the Jordan Valley. Many times, I went out together with David, learning much from his deep understanding of Arabic culture – and one of the most beautiful sections in the book is about the Arabic language.

I include here my photo of Peg in action, in the book you can see the photo that she herself took at that same moment, of Abu Jibril arguing with the soldier, not giving up his dignity.

At that time, we were confronting the soldiers much more frequently than the settlers, disputing their claims of closed military zones, when the soldiers could not always produce an order.

Perhaps then, the settlers were less vicious, though they were mostly the ones to summon the soldiers and knew themselves to be the lords of the land. Now, with the increasing violence of the settler thugs from the burgeoning illegal outposts that are now being legalized by our settler government, my courage to go out with the shepherds was waning.

This book is giving me the strength to return.

**

to order:

USA: University of Chicago:

https://press.uchicago.edu/.../distrib.../B/bo216867615.html

GB: Intellect Books:

https://www.intellectbooks.com/the-bitter-landscapes-of...

All reactions:

5Auke van der Berg, Ellen Schwartz and 3 others

Olive picking near Taibe, West Bank, during the Gaza war, November 2023

The settlers are taking advantage of the Gaza war and stepping up their efforts to violently chase away entire communities in Area C of the occupied West Bank.

The olive harvest is threatened even more than in previous years, as Palestinians are afraid of going out to their groves under the present circumstances. In the occupied territories, near Taibe, settlers have attacked the Palestinian olive growers a few days ago, and they are now fearful of going out without the protection of Israeli activists.

Rather than picking olives, the four of us activists were assigned to keep a watch, looking out in the direction of the surrounding outposts, and warn the others if we saw any settlers approaching. Before the war, and before current settler government, the army or police might actually come if we called to say there was a threat of violence. Now they most likely would not.

Two of us climbed on top of an old guard post, what Israelis call a 'shomriya' (an appropriation of Palestinian structures into Israeli lore?) that was not much more than a heap of stones. Here we had a good view of the hills - but then we realized that we too were clearly visible from afar, and so climbed back down.

To be on the lookout for settlers reminded me of my night watch shift while trekking in East Greenland, where we had to take turns looking out for polar bears during the arctic nights. Secretly, I wished I would spot that magnificent (but dangerous) animal! But here, I definitely did not want to see any settlers.

Three teams of foreign media came to document the olive harvest and our presence during the morning. They were probably hoping for 'action' - we, and the Palestinians farmers, were glad today it was quiet, and the settlers did not show up.

Outpost settlers controlling more Palestinian lands with their herds

out with Arik Ascherman to the occupied territories, east of Taibe junction, off road 449 that leads down into the Jordan Valley toward Jericho.

Arik had received word this morning that the settlers from Neria Ben Pazi's illegal outpost north of route 449, below Rimonim, were again grazing their sheep and cows on Palestinian lands south of the road, and were seen stealing water from the Palestinian wells at a former Bedouin camp that had been confiscated by the civil authorities a few months ago. The settler herds had apparently also grazed off all that had been planted in the nearby Palestinian fields.

Indeed, the Israeli settler movement has understood that keeping their own herds is a most effective way to control more and more land.

When we arrived, after five in the afternoon, we found the settler herds of cows and sheep near another former Bedouin camp that had been abandoned more recently because of settler intimidation. Arik called the landowner, but he was not able to come at that time. The police did come this time, heard our story and identified and spoke with one of the young settler shepherds on horseback - but did not get him to move his herds out of the private Palestinian lands. The settlers are not afraid of the police.

The landowner will meet Arik at the police station next week to lodge a complaint - at a time when Arik knows there will be an Arabic speaking police officer at the Benjamin station - as the landowner had already tried to lodge complaints for previous incursions on his land when no such officer was available.

We were about to leave for Dir Jerir, when Neria himself arrives in his car - we follow him into the fields, and find a viewpoint on a hill - he goes to talk to another Bedouin with his herd, and then disappears further into the fields, who knows what he is doing there, but we stay near the abandoned camps, and the young settlers now bring their herds to the second camp, where the well is. Arik contacts the second owner, who is willing to come, if the police do come again. But the police take Arik's call but do not come. They say that it is getting dark and they had already come earlier - even though it the herds were on the land of a different owner. We take photos and videos and that owner will also lodge a complaint.

It is getting dark, the red, full Tu be Av moon rises - but we do not see the settler herds cross the road to return to their home outpost. Arik phones one of Bedouin, who says he is ok. Still Arik is worried, that the man is pressured by the settlers to say all is fine when it is not. Arik wants to return later with another activist, and spend the night nearby, in case he gets an emergency call.

**

How to take over more and more Palestinian land

REPORTS ON ACCOMPANYING PALESTINIAN BEDOUIN SHEPHERDS, north of Jericho, east of Uja on their traditional grazing lands, large parts of which have been taken over by the settler Omer Atidiah, who over the past fifteen years or more, has created a farm that is illegal even by Israeli law - with enormous groves of mango and olive trees, spreading out on land belonging to the Waqf and other Palestinians.

part of Omer’s farm with the settlement of Yitav in the background

part of Omer’s lush groves

********************************************************************************

September 8, 2021

How do you take over more and more Palestinian land? You create a lovely, shady viewpoint/picnic area/romantic loveseat on a hill at some distance from your illegal settlement, and invite paying guests to come and enjoy the authentic experience of an organic farm in the wide open spaces of the desert.

And then you take over another outlying hill, and yet another. Not all at the same time, but one by one.

You put an electric fence around your hill, to keep away the Bedouin herders,

but also to take over all the land around your hill. You bring water pipes to your new plot, and plant a new grove of trees.

You turn it into a memorial site for an army unit, and, of course, you have great connections with the highest ranking army officers, that you have cultivated over the years, so you can call in the army to declare the area a "closed military zone" whenever the Palestinian shepherds come too close to your liking.

September 20, 2021

As we arrived, we noticed that the illegal settler Omer was on his way on his all terrain vehicle - but he stopped at one of the hills beyond his farm that he has occupied in order to expand his farm, and called the army instead.

Omer’s farm with the settlement of Yitav in the background

Not long after an army van arrived, and a woman soldier stepped out of the large army van. I managed to convince her, quietly, woman to woman, that the shepherds were doing no harm to Omer and his farm, and the herds were just grazing peacefully the very last straws of summer. Soon, after a phone conversation, the soldiers turned around and took off again.

Omer and the army know there are no legal grounds on which to expel the shepherds. At the most the army will declare the area a ‘closed military zone’ for 24 hours - and then we demand to see the document, to make sure they are not bluffing. They cannot declare the area closed on a more permanent basis, as the land belongs to the waqf. The order simply will not stand up in court.

 So, as long as the shepherds don't cross the road to his farm, (now paved, did Omer get the army to pay for it, as it also leads to one of the memorial hills?) Omer is apparently willing to let the shepherds be - but by accepting that imposed-upon border, the Bedouin are forced to give up a large part of their traditional grazing land - Palestinian land that does not belong to the illegal farmer Omer. And, in principle, they are not at peace with such a compromise.

In the recent past, even in the hills across the road, several kilometers away from his farm, Omer would terrorize the Bedouin herds out of sight on his all-terrain vehicle, but somehow he has calmed down about that.

"His olive trees are pregnant" - said Ismail with a smile, pointing at Omer's huge olive grove. I loved that expression, (and my Arabic is good enough to understand it) even though it means that Omer has all the water and land he needs to grow such a fruit-laden grove.

October 4, 2021

This morning "nothing happened"?

So this time the settler Omer from the lush illegal farm on land that he stole from the waqf did not order the army to chase away the Palestinian Bedouin, and did not come on his all-terrain vehicle to do so himself.

Still Abu Ismail is full of fear. He lives with uncertainty every single day, never knowing how long he will still be allowed to live in his own home, in his own community, grazing his sheep where he has done so all his life, earning his living.

 It is that uncertainty that reigns, even on quiet days.

The occupation continues...

 (see the excellent film by Hadara Oren: https://www.facebook.com/ritamendesflohr/posts/10217481433467698 )

 October 13, 2021

A seemingly quiet morning, accompanying Abu Ismail as he proudly poses with his prize ram -

but the undercurrent of violence is always there - if not from the illegal settler-farmer Omer and his army-buddies, then in the form of a brand-new outpost, a satellite of the Mevo'ot Yericho outpost that now has adopted the proven strategy of appropriating its surrounding land by taking their own sheep out to graze - with the protection of the army. The new outpost is fenced in, with a deep channel dug around it - obviously, someone is funding it....

As Abu Ismail prepares to go back home to his village, he receives a phone call warning him of those brand-new settlers, whose outpost he must pass on his way home. They have already threatened Um Rashed and her flock earlier this morning, and it is told they steal sheep, but fortunately two of our activists, Ada and Michal, were accompanying her and she stood her ground.

But this incident augurs what is to come.

October 20, 2021

A quiet early morning with Abu Ismail - his herd of sheep and goats finishing the last of the straw left in the fields - hopefully the rains will come soon bringing new green growth.

No disturbances from the side of the illegal farmer Omer. In the not so far distance, we see Omer's own herd of sheep coming in our direction. Settlers, especially those in small illegal outposts, have discovered that grazing their own sheep enables them to spread out and take over more and more land. But Omer’s herd does not reach us, as by eight thirty am, Abu Ismail is ready to return home in these hot summer days.

Omer’s herd of sheep approaching us -

 And the all-terrain vehicle that approached us did not stop, its driver greeted us politely and drove by. Perhaps he was a guest at the farm.

Recently, Omer seems to be more interested in attracting Israeli guests to stay at his rapidly expanding farm - marketing it as an authentic ecological experience- rather than chasing the Bedouin away. Not all his guests know (or don't care to know) it is an illegal farm, even in Israel's eyes, that has already taken over huge tracts of Palestinian land belonging to the waqf and that were the traditional grazing lands of the Bedouin. Presumably Omer does not want a bad name as the settler who intimidates the peaceful Bedouin.

Still, Abu Ismail did not take his herds out to graze yesterday, when there were no activists accompanying him. The threat remains....

Sumud - holding on, in face of dispossession

Near the Taibe Junction, off the Alon Road, occupied Palestine, in the afternoon.

A few days ago, on June 7, the occupation forces confiscated all of Hadj Mahmud's tents, sheep pens, solar panels - on the charge that the location of their current encampment was new, a change from where they used to be. (see video of the confiscation:) Facebook

Their sheep are now left with no protection from the sun and the family does not sleep at night, watching out for thieves, catching the animals that wander off. Torat Tzedek is collecting donations to buy materials for new enclosures and other urgent needs - https://secured.israelgives.org/.../RebuildingCamptofHajM...

Hadj Mahmud's herd at sundown, with no enclosure to protect them

The Bedouin's seasonal encampment at this time of the year would have been near their cultivated fields, about a kilometer south of the Rimonim settlement. Yes, those same cultivated fields that we, Arik Ascherman of Torat Tzedek and other activists, have been zealously protecting from agricultural theft by settler flocks from the nearby illegal outpost of Neria Ben Pazi. The Bedouin have been afraid to return there and have been forced to move to their current location, where now their possessions have been confiscated, according to the charge that their location is 'new'. We observe the remains of their encampment near their agricultural fields, destroyed some months ago, most likely by settlers.

the young outpost settler nonchalantly taking a smoking break while his herd of cows graze in the cultivated lands

the settler's mule and remains of the abandoned Bedouin encampment near their cultivated fields

The Bedouin do not even dare to graze their flocks in the lands they have cultivated for this purpose, even with our protection. And so activists have been organizing ourselves to reap the harvest, and bring it to the Bedouin, while keeping the outpost settler flocks off the cultivated lands.

the herd of cows crossing the section of the cultivated fields that has been harvested by activists.

Spotting the herds on cultivated land, as we do this afternoon, we first call the police to do their duty and enforce the decision by the civil authority, that these are indeed private Palestinian lands. Sometimes the police come, sometimes they don't. Does it depend on the political attitudes of the specific officer who happens to be on call? If they don't come, Arik himself chases the cows and sheep off the cultivated lands, wearing in his protective gear of helmet and padded jacket against attacks by violent setters, of which he has been subject numerous times.

Arik, in his protective gear, chasing a cow off the cultivated lands

Through the herding of sheep and cattle, the hilltop outposts have adopted the strategy of taking over large tracts of land, reaching much, much farther out than any settlement building could. Indeed, they have succeeded in frightening the Bedouin off their cultivated lands, and possibly might also be behind the confiscation of Hadj Mahmud's possessions.

the young outpost cowboy - must be exciting to be roaming freely in those fields...
He brandishes a cow bone - a possible weapon, but fortunately he did not use it against us.

This is why the struggle to keep the settler flocks off the cultivated lands - as well as other lands belonging to Palestinians - is crucial. It is a matter of protecting more and more land from being taken over by the outpost settlers, the hilltop youth, who essentially do the dirty job for the Israeli authorities, who can wash their hands clean and blame the 'bad seeds,' when they are questioned by the international community.

Have the settlers succeeded this time? How many of us would have raised our hands in utter despair seeing our material possessions driven away.

But Hadj Mahmud and his family do not give up, it is another example of sumud, the Palestinian determination to hold on, standing ground. They have no other choice.

and Arik too, does not give up chasing the herds off Palestinian owned and cultivated lands…

Stopping harvest theft of Palestinian owned and cultivated fields

With Arik Ascherman of Torat Tzedek checking on outpost settlers who graze their flocks again and again in fields owned and cultivated by Palestinians. Below the Taibe Junction, where the hilltop youth of the Neria Farm keep on bringing their herds, as well as near the Ma'ale Ahuvya illegal outpost, on the cultivated lands of Dir Jarir.

Arik is insistent on his presence at these fields, he goes out there every single morning and returns there every afternoon. I join him only once a week. He does not give up - for giving up means allowing the Jewish settlement enterprise another victory in its steadfast process of taking over Palestinian lands. This is what it is all about - holding on.

Slowly that perseverance is bearing fruit, be it only a little bit at a time. It is not a hopeless battle against windmills. For as soon as the young shepherds see us, in both places, they start to move their flock away from the cultivated fields.

What a difference from a few weeks ago, when Arik was viciously attacked by hilltop youth from Ma'ale Ahuvya. They will certainly be back when we leave, but at least they know they should not be there, the DCO (the liaison office between civilians and the army) has determined that the settlers are forbidden to graze their sheep and cows on Palestinian owned and cultivated lands, at least at the Taibe junction.

And so the police is more willing to come, to receive our incriminating photographs, as they did today (in contrast to only last week...). Perhaps also because now the grazing is defined as an act of theft - of the harvest - rather than as trespassing, which does not require the complicated process of owners of the land to press charges and so is an easier crime to prosecute.

Or perhaps because the attack on Arik brought momentary media attention to what is happening in these lands.

in the fields of Dir Jerir, the gate to a Palestinian vineyard has been broken, most likely by the settlers from the nearby outpost Ma'ale Ahuvya. The owners have called the police.
In the background, the settlement of Rimonim.

a view of Ma'ale Ahuvya, whose settlers have violently attacked Arik with sticks just a couple of weeks ago. Just after their illegal outpost had been demolished on court order. It has since been rebuilt...

Following orders from the settlers

settler youth from the illegal outpost “Angels of Peach” (sic) with his white sheep. Keeping herds of sheep enable the settlers to occupy more and more land and drive away the Palestinians

Rashash - above the Jordan Valley, early morning, November 6, 2019.

As we arrive, we receive word from the young Palestinian Bedouin shepherd that the settlers are already there, one of them on a horse. The previous day, the Bedouin were physically threatened by these hilltop youth from the adjacent outpost "Angels of Peace" (sic) and so we rush to join them.

We find two young settlers with their flock of sheared, white sheep - hilltop youth that are generally marginal youth from the city or other settlements, who have dropped out of all other frameworks and find a home in the wild west atmosphere of these illegal outposts.

The boys don't even seem to herd their own sheep, but stay very, very close to us and the Bedouin herd, almost bumping against us, if not running into us, photographing us all the time, as we photograph them in the now familiar dance. One settler photographs a Bedouin boy, a kafiye around his head, throwing stones to keep his goats away from the settler flock, and the settler youth records himself saying: "here is a masked Palestinian throwing stones". He goes on to say, "here they are about to steal our sheep, by mixing with our herd" when the Bedouin was trying to keep his goats away. That is how lies start.

wild west settler cowboy

I get an extreme closeup shot, as the horseback riding settler deliberately bumps into me.

In light of yesterday's incident, and the army's relatively positive response then, Guy Hirschfeld reports the potentially explosive situation to the army, while in the meantime the settlers have called their head-settler, Elhanan, who arrives on his all terrain vehicle, and also stands threateningly close to the Bedouin flock.

the head settler Elhanan standing over the Bedouin herd

When the army arrives, a new unit of reserve soldiers, the commander does not come to us first, but drives straight to Elhanan, giving him a friendly handshake. So they appear to be buddies. The commander, looking much like a settler himself, and most likely is one, tells us "in order to avoid friction" the Bedouins must move down across the wadi. That an agreement has been reached to divide up the grazing lands - and they must move across the line - to the other side of the wadi - where there desert starts and there is not much for the goats to eat....

across the wadi, there is nothing for the herds to eat

So this officer is clearly serving the interests of the settlers from the illegal outpost. We ask who told him about such an agreement - which is news to us and to the Bedouin - and the commander says he got the command from "higher up". Well, now they don't declare the land "closed military zone" as they used to, because then the settler flocks too would have to leave - but come up with an arbitrary "agreement" that would eventually starve the Bedouin herds.

and I caught the head-settler Elhanan throwing a stone. (to keep away his own sheep) when his hilltop youth record themselves filming Bedouin throwing stones at their own goats saying "a masked Palestinian is throwing stones.."

ta

the new commander follows the settlers’ orders

And that is exactly what the settlers are after. It is not a question of dividing up the grazing grounds fairly (there is plenty of grass closer to the outpost) - but the entire point of keeping a flock of sheep is to roam as wide a terrain as possible, and to drive the Palestinians off their lands

Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايش Torat Tzedek Machsom Watch - מחסום ווטש

the victorious settler Elhanan with his horse and his army buddies, who follow his orders and drive away the Palestinian Bedouin off the land



Olive picking in Burin - below Yitzhar - October 21, 2019

 Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايش
It started out lovely, with eight of us joined by four internationals together with four Palestinian owners of the trees. We worked well, managed to fill four or five bags with olives.

Suddenly, there was talk that the settlers from the outpost near Yitzhar were on their way - yes, those that beat up the Rabbis for Human Rights last week and then went on to attack IDF soldiers - that put Burin and the Yitzhar outpost in the news, if the attack on the rabbis did not. But then the army showed up - and told us it was a closed military area and we must all leave, together with the Palestinian owners of the trees.
Why? To avoid friction....

So to avoid friction with the settlers, it is not the settlers that are kept off the Palestinian land, but the owners of the trees who are prevented from picking their olives at the height of the harvest season. The officer said the Palestinians are allowed to pick only three days a week in the slopes below Yitzhar- (and we were not even that close to Yitzhar, not even visible from there) and today is not one of those permitted days. How will the owners be able to finish the harvest in only three days a week?

That is one reason why volunteers/activists are needed - to do as much picking possible in the limited time - however the owner of the grove was warned by an army officer not to bring more volunteers. But the volunteers/activists come precisely to protect the Palestinian olive harvesters against the settlers - especially when the army does not do so. Make sense of that...

That same Palestinian owner was still shaking from an incident the previous day, when the army put him in a jeep, took him to Yitzhar, and beat him up there, right in front of the settlers, who applauded and cheered on.

Now the settler security officer (ravshats) from Yitzhar also appears on the scene, going up to each of us to take our photos, as if we are criminals. Trying to intimidate us? If this is a Jewish religious holiday, is he, a man wearing a kipa, allowed to drive around in his patrol car and take photos with his cellphone? In any case, he seems in his element, teaming up with the army to expel us.

When the closure order came - we had managed to pick some more olives during the time it took - we were at least given time to fill the remaining bags and take all the equipment with us.

In Defense of Grazing Rights -

11 September 2019

Rashash, (overlooking the Jordan Valley) early this morning. Ta'ayush תעאיוש تعايشش and Torat Tzedek - the day after Bibi's promise of annexation of the Jordan Valley - which has been already happening on the ground with the clear policy of the army, the settlers, and the higher authorities to clear area C of Palestinians. Often letting the unruly hilltop youth do the dirty work.

grazing, with the army base and the unauthorized outpost “Angels of Peace” in the background

A quiet day of grazing, despite the appearance of the 'responsible adult' in the illegal outpost of "Angels of Peace" (sic) . He makes a few phone calls. No, this time, he does not call the drop-out, marginal boys, whom he educates at his outpost in the way of the overlords - and who regularly run their horses or all-terrain vehicles into the Bedouin herds scaring them to death. Nor does his Im Tirtzu friend appear, who is out to attack us, the activists who accompany the shepherds. Elhanan, the head- settler leaves after walking around us for a while.

the head-settler making his rounds and calling to have the Bedouin expelled

An army jeep drives by, but the soldiers do not get off. This hill is private Palestinian property, and it contains a well from which the Bedouin water their goats and sheep. It is non-negotiable, the Bedouin will not give up their right to this land.

water from the family well

the goats drinking water from the well

Guarding Cultivated Palestinian Fields against Settler Herds

(with Ta’ayush and Torat Tzedek)

Settlers arriving over the ridge with their flock as the sun rises

Settlers from the outpost of Ma'ale Shlomo, adjacent to the settlement of Rimonim, have been consistently bringing their sheep to graze on land that is cultivated by shepherds from Dir J'rir. Today our presence kept the settlers at a distance - we saw them coming over the ridge, just as the sun was coming up on this hazy, hamsin day, but this time they did not go down into the cultivated valley. Perhaps because we arrived there first.

the two young settler boys (often dropout kids who do not fit into any other framework) on the hill across us, while their sheep graze..

One of the Palestinian shepherds remarked "why don't they stay near their outpost, there is so much land around there, whey do they have to come here, in our valley?". But that is exactly the point - herding sheep is another tactic of settlers to expand their control over the occupied territories - sheep can go far and wide, driving the Palestinians further and further away, so that in the end Area C will be free of Palestinians, which works fine in the eyes of the Israeli authorities, without them having to do the dirty work of expulsion themselves.

Palestinian herders looking over the land they cultivate to feed their sheep in seasons when grazing is scarce

Most of the Palestinian herds started to leave early, around eight o'clock on this day that was supposed to register record temperatures, but the settlers remained across the valley. We feared they would go down into the cultivated fields, and so we stayed on, standing in positions that were clearly visible to them, until, they too started to move away. One little battle won today. But we know they will be back, and so will we.