Maktal Umm-Salem – settlers working on private Palestinian land

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Observers: 
Muhammad and Ariela (reporting and filming). Editor: Mira Balaban; Translator: Natanya
Apr-4-2023
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Afternoon
מקטל אמ-סאלם והתנחלות שמעה
מקתל אום-סאלם -  ילדי המשפחה במרעה

Because it is Ramadan, we left for the shift at three in the afternoon. Considering the hour,, the parking lot at the Meitar  crossing was relatively empty.

Route 317:

We went to Maktal Umm-Salem: this is a residential complex for one family, north of the road, opposite the Wadada area south of the road, and east of the Shim’ah settlement. The head of the family is Amer, and he shepherds his sheep from the other side of the road.

Amer's wife called Muhammad and asked us to come and if possible, to bring them some things they needed.  They are grateful for any help. We wentwith a jeep loaded with equipment collected by Smadar.

On the way, just before Meitar, near Zenuta, Muhammad's sharp eye noticed the work being done at the Meiterim farm (an illegal outpost), where the settler Yinon lives. We will have to follow developments there.

We arrived at Maktal Umm-Salem. At the entrance to the road leading to it, Amer put up a barrier to prevent settlers from dumping their garbage there. We were greeted by Amer's wife and some of the small children. Amer himself and the older children were in the pasture.

The settlers raise a drone every few days to document the place and scare the sheep.

The place is full of scraps that Amer collects. And you can't help but notice the differences between the home of the Palestinians and on the ridge in front of the settlement – Shim’ah.

Across the road, in front of the Maktal Umm-Salem slaughterhouse, we saw earthworks, settlers from Meitarim Farm preparing a plot of land to plant a vineyard.

When we left for Route 60, we met Abu-Awaj and his children, a member of the Makhrij family from Samu’ who told us that most of the land in the area across from the Maktal Umm-Salem slaughterhouse, across the road, is their private land, including the new vineyard plot that Havat-Meitimar settlers are cultivating openly. They say that when the landowners came to stop the settlers' work in the vineyard, they were beaten by the settlers and finally arrested by the security forces for several days.

On the way back, parking at the Meitar crossing was almost empty.