In questa testimonianza, David Harel, un importante accademico israeliano, descrive quello che caratterizza come uno spostamento sistematico delle comunità pastorali palestinesi nella valle del Giordano settentrionale. Racconta di una campagna coordinata che coinvolge molestie, blocco dell'accesso al pascolo, abbandono forzato di case e bestiame, e distruzione di proprietà da parte di coloni di insediamenti israeliani vicini. Harel evidenzia luoghi specifici—Hamam Al-Malihah e Samarra—dove il bestiame è stato rimosso forzatamente, eliminando la principale fonte di sostentamento dei pastori. Sottolinea che non si tratta di uno spostamento temporaneo, ma di uno spostamento permanente e calcolato, e nota che le famiglie colpite portano cicatrici fisiche e psicologiche a causa di torture, fame e furti. Harel considera questo spostamento illegale e invita i cittadini israeliani a confrontarsi con quello che definisce un "male inconcepibile" perpetrato dal governo israeliano.
Key Points
- Palestinian shepherding communities in the northern Jordan Valley are undergoing systematic, permanent displacement through harassment and blocking of grazing rights.
- Settlers confiscate or herd away livestock—the primary livelihood of these communities—and subsequently burn remaining property to prevent families from returning.
- Affected families in locations such as Hamam Al-Malihah and Samarra carry physical and psychological scars from torture, starvation, and theft.
- The displacement campaign is characterised as nearly complete and described as unlawful by a prominent Israeli academic and institutional leader.
- Harel calls for Israeli citizens to actively confront and challenge what he characterises as government-sanctioned displacement rather than remain passive observers.
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David Harel, president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, describes the systematic displacement of Palestinian shepherding communities in the northern Jordan Valley through harassment, livestock confiscation, and property destruction by settlers, characterising it as an unlawful and permanent removal campaign.
Summary
In this testimony, David Harel, a senior Israeli academic figure, details what he characterises as systematic displacement of Palestinian pastoral communities in the northern Jordan Valley. He describes a coordinated campaign involving harassment, blocking of grazing access, forced abandonment of homes and livestock, and destruction of property by settlers from nearby Israeli settlements. Harel highlights specific locations—Hamam Al-Malihah and Samarra—where cattle have been forcibly removed, eliminating the shepherds' primary livelihood. He emphasises that this is not temporary relocation but calculated, permanent displacement, and notes that affected families bear physical and psychological scars from torture, starvation, and theft. Harel positions this displacement as unlawful and calls on Israeli citizens to confront what he terms an "inconceivable evil" carried out by the Israeli government.
Key takeaways
- Palestinian shepherding communities in the northern Jordan Valley are undergoing systematic, permanent displacement through harassment and blocking of grazing rights.
- Settlers confiscate or herd away livestock—the primary livelihood of these communities—and subsequently burn remaining property to prevent families from returning.
- Affected families in locations such as Hamam Al-Malihah and Samarra carry physical and psychological scars from torture, starvation, and theft.
- The displacement campaign is characterised as nearly complete and described as unlawful by a prominent Israeli academic and institutional leader.
- Harel calls for Israeli citizens to actively confront and challenge what he characterises as government-sanctioned displacement rather than remain passive observers.
Full article
I am David Harel, president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an institute professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Something terrible is unfolding as we speak in the northern Jordan Valley. Local Palestinian shepherding communities are being systematically driven away from the lands they have lived on and owned for decades. This is done by Jews from nearby settlements.
This is not a temporary departure. It is a permanent, calculated displacement through a combination of brutal harassment and systematic blocking of grazing on their lands. These families are forced to abandon their flocks and abandon their homes. Often, settlers come in later and burn what remains in order to prevent these families from returning.
The Situation in the Northern Jordan Valley
The situation is particularly devastating in places like Hamam Al-Malihah and Samarra. We watched as trucks arrived to herd away what was left of the cattle belonging to shepherding communities. This represents the last of these communities' livelihoods. The shepherds still carry the scars of torture, starvation, and theft.
Alarmingly, this totally unlawful and terrible plan to get rid of the Palestinian population in the northern Jordan Valley is almost complete. We Israelis cannot merely complain and lament what is going on. We must confront this inconceivable evil that is carried out by our government, the Israeli government, in our own names.
Topics#Palestinian displacement#Northern Jordan Valley#Israeli settlements#Pastoral communities and livelihoods#Human rights and property#Israeli government policy