Only under Israeli occupation (Jordan Valley): Jews steal a spring!

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Observers: 
Nava Toledano, Daphne Banai (report), Gil Hammerschlag driving. Translated by Tal H.
Mar-23-2022
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Morning

Khalat al Khader – we were to meet the father of the family, R., after we discovered a week earlier that the spring owned by the family and on their land, had been… stolen! The water used to establish a pool and a shaded area was added, calling the site ‘Ein Rina’, named after Rina Shnerb who was murdered in a terrorist attack. The West Bank is dotted with stolen springs and outposts stuck on Palestinians’ lands, and the girl’s name will now be added to this list because of her greedy friends.

R. tells us and shows us a video of the spring where he used to grow decorative fish as well as well edible fish. The family lived next to the original spring. A year ago the army demolished his encampment and two months ago they came and demolished once more. It was all done by the colonists who took over the site later, and turned it into ‘Ein Rina’. R. now grows peacocks, Guinea hens, geese, ducks and various strange types of roosters. A few days ago, one of the male peacocks flew over the fence of the neighboring colony of Mekhola, and did not return. The man went to ask for it, but the colonists refused him. We drove to the colony and walked around there until we saw a peacock among the animals. With the help of some Palestinian workers, we called the person responsible, who claimed that the peacock and another 4 peacocks are his and have always been his. As usual, the Palestinian is claimed to be lying. We saw a single male peacock there. We returned empty-handed.

We brought Gil to Burhan, and along with another activist, they covered the new sheep pen, put up with the help of activists instead of the pen that was blown away by strong winds 2 weeks ago, during those frozen days. Burhan said that his sheep were left without shelter, and he and his wife would sit outside in the cold and rain and milk them. Now the rain that would fall the next day would find the couple and the sheep safe.

A short visit at Yusef and Najia’s.

Humsa – It is hard to describe the joy with which we were welcomed by the Humsa women! We hadn’t visited there all winter, for the rain had made the way there impossible. The children insisted on sitting next to Daphne, especially Mahmoud – son of Falastin – who followed her with an orange-colored chair wherever she went and kept sitting at her feet. His cousin, Suliman, also 3-years-old, followed them dragging an empty yellow jerrycan tied with a rope, the way kids drag little cars behind them. His mother said ‘he imagines he’s leading a donkey’. To each his own vehicle… The family invited us to share their supper and when we refused, they suggested we take home their meat. We refused, of course. At 3:30 p.m. we left for home.