15 July 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Jordan Valley
Activists and members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) recently faced harassment while working in a popular tourist spot in the Jordan Valley.
The activists focused their efforts on Ras Al-Auja (Ras Al-Ein) where water access is severely restricted for Palestinians, often limited to a few hours a day. Settlers have exacerbated the situation by blocking roads leading to water sources and stealing livestock. They integrate their herds with Palestinian flocks and then falsely claim ownership, reducing Palestinian herds significantly. While safeguarding the spring where locals fill their water tanks, activists also monitored settler shepherds who frequently encroach on the village land. .
The spring serves not only as a water source but also as a communal gathering spot, offering a rare moment of relief and socialization for the Palestinians. International volunteers had their duties interrupted by reports of settlers invading Palestinian land just up the road, necessitating a division of their attention between multiple locations.
At one site, a settler wearing a tank top with the letters KKL/JNF and a kuffiyeh was seen wielding a metal bat aggressively. This settler circled the activists car and tried to intimidate them by placing his hands on the bat and motioning towards his radio. The settler was wearing a kuffiyeh as appropriation of Palestinian culture. This is a disturbing trend that erases and undermines Palestinian traditions.
Once finished observing and documenting this settler, the activists encountered a caravan of camels led by settlers also wearing kuffiyeh, who soon turned aggressive. These settlers surrounded the activists’ car, taunted them, lunged and screamed in the ears and made sexually suggestive comments, showcasing tactics intended to intimidate and drive Palestinians from their land. This harassment lasted for almost an hour.
