Israeli army and Jewish settlers have been intensifying their attacks against Palestinian shepherds in the northern Jordan Valley region of the West Bank.
According to human rights organization B’Tselem, recent months have seen “an upsurge in the frequency and severity of attacks by settlers” against shepherds from the Palestinian community of al-Farisiyah in the northern Tubas District.
I only had bruises to show for it." Barakat Abu Mushen (in the photo taken by ‘Aref Daragmeh, B'Tselem, 12 Feb. 2019) https://t.co/QHZLwrd82q
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) May 15, 2019
Disturbingly – but perhaps unsurprisingly given precedent – the human rights group stated that Israeli soldiers are not only “usually present during these attacks” but “sometimes even take part”, by “demanding that the shepherds get off the pastureland”.
According to the organization, these recent events “are not isolated incidents, but rather part of the policy Israel has been implementing in the Jordan Valley”, whose “goal is to take over as much land as possible, while getting Palestinians to leave, which it achieves via various measures”.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social media)
