Our activists recently witnessed an attempt to establish an illegal outpost in the south Jordan Valley, next to Mevo’ot Yericho settlement. For a while it seemed that this attempt was halted by the presence of our activists and the reports they provided from the scene. Unfortunately, however, the establishment of the illegal outpost continued.
How was it established?
At first, a family came to the territory, with a small tent and some mattresses. We reported them to the authorities and were told that they had just come for a picnic.
A few days later, a news item was published on social media calling on volunteers to join them in setting up a farm. Here is the wording of the ad:
Looking for volunteers for a new farm near Jericho
Zionism and the Redemption of Lands
📌Animal🐶🦋🐴🐓 care
📌 ☀️Going out to graze 🐑🐏🐐
📌Work in a vegetable garden, and establishing a plantation🌴🌱
📌Regular maintenance of the farm.
📌Attendance and guarding
📌Devotion and a desire to cultivate the wilderness🍒🌵🌹
Then, several young people brought along to the place a cellular lighting pole, a portable water tank, a pen with a small flock of sheep, and a bigger tent.
During the ten days of the attempted establishment of the outpost, our activists arrived at the area to escort the Palestinian shepherds that were grazing there; we contacted law enforcement authorities and reported the illegal activities on social media.
These actions seemed to help, since on the ninth day most of the equipment was dismantled. We hoped the settlers abandoned the outpost for good, but a few days later they came back with a bigger tent, a flock, SUVs, toilets, infrastructure for a fence, and attack dogs.
It is likely that their return was backed up by legal authorities and complied with the agendas underlying government policies.
Four days later the family left the place again.
They come and go as they please.
During their stays there, they threaten and attack the Palestinian shepherds who are forced to live in constant fear of attacks whenever they tend their flock at the fields.
This demonstrates the way settlers take over land without the legally required certifications. Often, the teenagers involved in such take-overs have been ejected from educational institutions, under the pretense of love and devotion to the people and the state. They are encouraged to violence, to disobeying the law, and to disregard basic moral values. All of this is done under the auspices of the Israeli government, which issues no arrest warrants and refuses to prosecute attempted take-overs of land and illegal building of settlements.
