On Wednesday 4th July 2012 the Palestine News Network published the following report of more settler land grabs in the Jordan Valley. Rotem is situated in the to the west of Al Maleh, Ein El Hilwe and Al Farisiya – three Palestinian communities that have been subjected to persistent attacks and land grabs by Maskiyyot settlers, destruction of their water sources, and demolition of their homes and animal shelters.  

“Wednesday, 4th July, the settlers of ‘Rotem’, built on the Palestinian lands in the northern Jordan Valley, have established this morning foundations for new facilities outside the boundaries of the settlement.

“The head of the Bedouin village council in the northern Jordan Valley, Aref Daraghmeh, said that this process of expansion had been done silently, without the announcement of tender offers or the announcement of confiscation of the lands which are included in this settlement and that this process had included foundations for new facilities.

“Daraghmeh pointed out that the settlers of ‘Rotem’ had included new lands for their settlement and they had seized a hill nearby from the settlement and they had put a fence around it.

“The lands that were seized are considered as one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the Jordan Valley in addition to being rich pastoral areas.

“In the same context, our correspondent reported that the settlers of ‘Bracha’ built on the territory of Nablus, had expanded their settlement in the same way some time ago”.