We’re Launching Our New Trilingual Website

Written By Yeshaya Shapiro

Over the past year, the situation in the northern Jordan Valley has changed dramatically.
Pressure on Palestinian shepherding communities has intensified, displacement has accelerated, and daily life has become increasingly unstable. Communities that have lived in the area for generations now face continuous harassment, blocked access to land and water, and threats designed to force them off their land.

As these realities have escalated, so has the need for accurate information, accessible communication, and clear ways for people to get involved.

Today, we’re launching our new trilingual website — in English, Hebrew, and Arabic — to meet that need.

This platform brings together everything essential to understanding the situation, supporting our work, and staying updated.

Why We Built This Site Now

Since late 2023, we’ve witnessed:

  • the establishment of new outposts

  • increased night-time and daytime harassment

  • blocked access to pastures and springs

  • confiscations of herds and equipment

  • destruction of shelters and property

  • entire communities being forcibly displaced

These events rarely receive public attention, and when they do, the coverage is often incomplete.
For the families living here, however, the impact is direct, constant, and life-changing.

Our volunteers — all unpaid — respond daily to calls from shepherds who are being prevented from grazing, blocked on the way to water, or threatened near their homes. Often, the simple presence of Israeli volunteers reduces the intensity of these incidents.

But for people outside the valley, this reality is often invisible.

We built this website to change that.

What You'll Find on the New Site

Home

A clear and factual overview of the Jordan Valley today — who lives here, what has changed, and why protective presence is essential.
This is the best starting point for anyone new to the issue.

About

A deeper explanation of who we are: Israeli volunteers working in full partnership with Palestinian shepherding communities.

This section outlines:

  • our principles of non-violence

  • how we coordinate with families

  • the scope of our daily work (escorts, documentation, legal support)

  • how communities request assistance

  • how our presence reduces harassment

It also explains the broader context — land pressure, outpost expansion, restrictions on movement, and the shrinking space available for shepherding.

Volunteer

As the situation grows more urgent, our need for volunteers grows as well.

This section explains:

  • what a protective-presence shift looks like

  • what volunteers actually do in the field

  • safety expectations

  • coordination systems

  • how to join

We aim to make the process accessible even to those who have never been involved in this kind of work before.

Updates

The Jordan Valley changes day by day.
New outposts appear, roads are blocked or reopened, families relocate temporarily or permanently, and incidents occur that never make the news.

Our Updates page provides:

  • field reports

  • statements

  • documentation summaries

  • urgent alerts

  • reflections from volunteers

This section helps supporters, journalists, researchers, and the general public understand events as they unfold.

Contact

A simple and direct way to reach us for:

  • volunteering

  • media inquiries

  • coordination

  • partnerships

  • educational or tour requests

We respond in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.

Donate

Our work is fully volunteer-based, but it is not cost-free.

Transportation, fuel, legal assistance, water support, documentation equipment, and emergency needs all require funding.

Donations are processed securely through Rabbis for Human Rights, one of our long-time partners.
Every contribution strengthens our ability to accompany communities and enables us to respond when incidents occur.

Why a Trilingual Site Matters

The Jordan Valley is multilingual by nature:

  • Palestinian families speak Arabic

  • Activists and volunteers speak Hebrew

  • International supporters, journalists, and allies rely on English

Until now, much of the information about this region was scattered, untranslated, or only accessible to small groups.

By building a site in three languages, we hope to:

  • increase transparency

  • reach communities directly

  • offer clear resources for volunteers

  • allow international observers to follow developments

  • give journalists and researchers reliable information

  • ensure that no one is left out of the conversation

This aligns with our core belief: that visibility and documentation are forms of protection.

Looking Ahead

The coming months will be critical.
Communities continue to face displacement, and pressure on the valley’s pastoral way of life is not slowing down.

This website is only one tool — but it is an important one.

It helps us:

  • show what is happening on the ground

  • connect with people who want to help

  • support communities who are under threat

  • build networks of solidarity

  • share knowledge responsibly

  • strengthen protective presence

We invite you to explore the site, learn more, and join us in supporting the families of the northern Jordan Valley.

Thank you for standing with us.

— Jordan Valley Activists

Yeshaya Shapiro