Al Jazeera World

The Last Shepherds of the Jordan Valley

Palestinian Bedouins in the Israeli-occupied Jordan Valley struggle to cling on to an age-old way of life.

Al Jazeera World returns to the Jordan Valley to revisit some shepherds who have been tending flocks and living off the land for centuries.

In 2012, we documented the lives of the Palestinians in this part of the occupied West Bank. The valley’s water resources and agricultural potential would make it the breadbasket of any future Palestinian state. But it is increasingly difficult to live there as the Israeli military and settlers try to drive the shepherds off their land and are also at odds with the largely powerless Palestinian Authority.

Abu Saqr and Sirene Khdeiri are two Jordan Valley residents struggling to remain on their land. This community is increasingly under threat but still hopes to see the creation of a self-sufficient Palestinian state.