Walls and Blockades

Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Tarqumiya, Thu 19.8.10, Morning

suand — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:46:10 +0300

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19/08/2010

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Morning

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Raya (reporting)

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South Mount Hebron, Hebron, Tarkomia

Shlomit L., Ronit G., (Guests)

Translation: Bracha B.A.

Tarkomia

The checkpoint is quiet and there is no one crossing during the afternoon.

At the Shiyuch Hebron junction they have removed the concrete barriers and cars can now enter the shiyuch from the main road. The blocks have now been moved to the other side and there are now two checkpoints next to the girls' school at the entrance to Hebron.

Hebron

It is very quiet in Hebron - it is hot and it is Ramadan. There are not many people in the streets. Settlers drive to Tel Romeida at breakneck speed. If there were a speed trap there the finest would cover much of the expenditures of the Hebron police department.

We visited Jabar whose fields are drying up. He told us that settlers had come to the house of his brother who lives across the way. The police came and took a member of the family to submit a complaint. One of the members of the family recorded the event with a camera.

There is hardly a person tin sight in Tarkomia - probably because of the heat and the fast of Ramadan.

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'Anabta, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Te'enim Crossing, Wed 4.8.10, Morning

suand — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:40:40 +0300

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04/08/2010

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Morning

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Yael S., Zahava G. (reporting)

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Translation: Suzanne O.

Chabla

6:50 a.m.

Some 40 people are queuing by the gate. Every 5 minutes a group of 5 exits from the inspection.

We noticed that women were given preferential treatment by the residents.

Complaint: 3 residents from Chabla complained that they had to produce magnetic cards in order to leave the village; however, 2 of them were told that they were 'prohibited' by the Shabak or the police and refused a magnetic card.

They are not aware of who prohibits them or why. One of them is married to an Israeli woman from Jaljulia who is bringing up their three children.

We gave them the telephone numbers of our activists who help those who are denied access.

Eliahu Crossing

7:25 a.m.

Some 30 people are queuing under the awning. They exit from the inspection in threes. When asked they told us they had waited an hour and a half to cross. According to some of them, the situation has worsened and the inspections are slower.

Ja'yus

8:15 a.m.

The gate is still open and only two Palestinians are queuing: an older person and a youth. Near them are two representatives of the Ecumenical Organisation A.A.P.P., both of them 'priests' (pastors). The woman is South African and the man Swiss. The Palestinian man complained that a soldier had taken his 'permit' away because it was given to him for a crossing that is no longer functioning.

Important information: they told us about a Palestinian village by the name of 'Yanun' not far from Ja'us surrounded by settlements which are conspiring against them all the time. We did not find a place with that name on the map.

News from the residents of A-Sharf - the road to Jenin is open. We saw a considerable amount of traffic in both directions on this road.

Anabta

9:50 a.m.

The road is open in both directions. There is no queue.

Ma'avar Te'enim

10:05 a.m.

We had a discussion with the commander of the crossing about the opening of the gate to Jubara, the road is barred by 3 barriers, and he suggested that we go to the roadblock on foot or drive to Taibeh and from there to the roadblock by car.

Due to the weather today, we waived the option of walking.

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'Anata, Qalandiya, Thu 12.8.10, Afternoon

Tzipie — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:33:48 +0300

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12/08/2010

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Afternoon

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Orit Y. Shimshon Y. (guest) Ruth O. (reporting)

Content

Sheikh Jarach, Qalandiya CP, Anata 14.30 - 18.00

We started at Sheikh Jarach; two women and a child of about 5 were sitting under the fig tree with two volunteers. A Danish girl from ISM and an American boy who is a free lance volunteer, both of them live in Nablus and move between Israel and the West Bank.
Five houses on the street have already been evacuated from their former inhabitants who all live together in one house now. On the house across the street from the fig tree, where for over a year settlers live, more and more Jewish symbols are being posted. Now a big sign on the upper cornice facing the street says: "Veshavu Banim Ligvulam". More houses in this neighborhood, up on the hill, are surrounded by chains of Israeli flags. While we sat there a group of about ten young people approached the street and the Palestinian women immediately recognized them as settlers. Luckily they turned towards the tomb of Shimon the righteous. We were told about the Friday demonstrations held on the empty lot nearby while all entrances to the street are being blocked by the police.
We proceeded to Qalandiya; Some of the streets we used before for getting there are now blocked by new building sites of shopping centers and new apartment houses. We entered through the pedestrian entrance used by those who return home from Israel. New machines for palm reading have been installed. Apparently only part of the people is supposed to use them. The waiting hall was empty; only a peddler who sells sweets and another one who has a stall with fresh white bread for the end of fasting evening meal were busy there. We started to walk back through the exit turnstiles. There were no long lines but for the first time did we hear over the loud speakers that there are separate exits for those who carry green IDs. We waited for about ten minutes before we could go through. Because of our exaggerated self esteem we did not stop to show our IDs. Loud calls, mainly directed towards our guest, calling him Haj, made us return to the window to show our identification.
We continued to Anata, where we have not been for a long while. Inside the village we could not see any changes, only more cars on the narrow street. Looking toward south a very large CP that is under construction can be seen. On the right side of it there is a big wall, coming up all the way from A-Zaeem. The hour was 5.30 in the afternoon, and we saw men and children carrying bags full with fresh breads for the festive meal.

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Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Tue 3.8.10, Morning

suand — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:39 +0300

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03/08/2010

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Morning

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Tzipi Z., Michal T. (reporting)

Content

Southern Hebron Hills, Hebron
Translator: Charles K.

Hebron - the usual routine
The Jabber family - the abuse continues
Regulations governing the lives of residents in the valley have become stricter.

Meitar crossing

By 08:00 all the laborers have gone through, and only relatives of prisoners wait under the canopy. Four buses wait for them.

On Route 60 there are many heavy trucks traveling in both directions. The army's presence isn't felt today, nor are civilians seen on the roads.

Hebron

On the hills to the right of the road at the entrance to Kiryat Arba, the "Mitzpeh Avichai" outpost appears to be growing and developing: another yellow pre-fab, and still another.

We wonder whether the settlements summer camp is still going on?!

The city gradually awakens. Almost no pedestrians. The settlers hurry by in their cars, as usual. Naha"l soldiers are stationed at all the checkpoints but aren't detaining anyone. Nor do Border Police soldiers at Curve 160 and the Cave of the Patriarchs checkpoint harass anyone at this hour. The impression is that "everything's ok."

The Jabber family

M., our driver, tells us he heard that one of the family's youths was arrested yesterday. We decided to visit them again.

The last remaining field of squash is still green and full of produce (I bought a crate).

Yasser and Yusri, Atta's brothers, greet us happily. It's important to them to see that someone cares about them. They say that yesterday (Monday), Civil Administration staff came again to destroy, dismantle and remove the irrigation lines. They showed up at 06:30 in the morning to their cousin's field; he lives on the other side of Route 60.

He went out when all the other family members were still asleep, preferring not to wake them. He asked them to remove everything quietly, not to wake anyone, nor frighten the children who were still traumatized by the events of recent weeks. "Shut up and get outta' here," our "stalwart lads" yelled at him. Since the silence had been broken, everyone began to get up; the children came out of the house and threw rocks.

Wadiya Badran Jabber, aged 16, jumped in fright from his bed and ran to see what was happening. Because he dared to run toward them, he was arrested by the soldiers on guard duty who beat him until he bled and took him away. His uncle, who tried to protest the arrest, was also taken. While they were being dragged to the jeep, the uncle's 3 year old son ran after him crying bitterlyu, "Baba, baba..."

A brave soldier from the Israel Defense Forces grabbed the child and tossed him aside as if he were "a bag of garbage," so he wouldn't get in the way. A man trying to work his land is on his way to jail, his baby's sobs echoing in his ears.

Wadiya called his father in the evening from the Etzion DCO. He said that from Wednesday he'll be at the Ofer base, where he'll be tried. In addition to all those troubles, the family members report that the army shows up at different times for surprise visits to see whether they're still irrigating. It could be late at night, in the afternoon or early in the morning.

Their freedom of movement, and that of their neighbors, has also suddenly become more restricted in recent days. They usually entered and left Hebron on foot through an opening that had been left at the southern entrance to Kiryat Arba. Entry to vehicles there has been blocked for some time by a yellow gate. Now the path has been blocked with heavy boulders. On Monday night, their neighbor tried to return home. Kiryat Arba security guards refused to allow him through. "Go around," they said. "Around" means to walk one hour towards Beni Na'im, instead of ten minutes this way.

"Why? What for?"

"Because." That's the answer

His appeals and pleas didn't help.

"It's nine at night," he said.

"Just this one time. From tomorrow I won't come through here any more."

The police and the army personnel who arrived also couldn't let the farmer return to his home adjacent to the gate. He was forced to make an hour-long trip on foot.

Now they're even forbidden to ride a donkey. That's also a dangerous vehicle. And the settlers are those who decide.

We can definitely see how the lives of all the farmers living in the valley next to Kiryat Arba are being increasingly restricted, in order to control them and take over their lands.

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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Mon 28.6.10, Morning

naomi — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:27:34 +0300

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28/06/2010

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Morning

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Natanya G; Yehudit K (reporting) and Mohammed at the wheel

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Meitar/Sansana
6.45 no workers in view, a cluster of people waiting for the gate to open at 7:00 for the families

Route 60
Empty except for very few pedestrians and vehicles. Mohammed saw a truck with Israeli plates in front and Palestinian plates at the rear.

Hebron
The Pharmacy checkpoint closed and empty - how do people cross and where? (not that there is a shortage of checkpoints in town!)

The city center is empty. At Palestinian Tel-Rumeida we spotted two ISM observers who assured us that the situation was 'cool'.

Except for the checkpoints in town, very low profile of soldiers. Sneeringly 'friendly' Border police near Patriarchs' cave.

We did a short tour of the Prayers' Alley (Tsir Hamitpallelim), and the temporary blockades are still in situ.

And a mystery: Mohammed took us to a road leading, we think, to K. Arba via Givat Harsina and said that the road was supposed to be opened to (Jewish) worshippers. On the Palestinian side of the road there are

heavy blockades but the road itself looked open. Both observers were a bit mystified - can anyone enlighten us?

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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Sun 27.6.10, Morning

naomi — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:43:30 +0300

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27/06/2010

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Morning

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Tal A., Yael Z. (Reporting)

Content

Translator: Charles K.

Meitar crossing

The laborers have already gone through and the parking lot on the Israeli side is almost empty; everyone’s gone to work. A Red Cross representative tells us that four buses with relatives of prisoners are scheduled to leave for the Ramon prison. We saw only one bus waiting, its passengers overflowing the shed in which fenced railings created a winding line. They stand waiting quietly.

Route 60

Most of the barriers blocking the roads leading off of Route 60 have been removed; we see few vehicles as we drive, nor are children walking since schools are on vacation.

The vineyards are blossoming alongside the road.

Hebron

The town is silent and deserted, nor did we see the TIPH observers.

Cave of the Patriarchs checkpoint – 3 young detainees wait for their documents to be inspected. When we returned, 15 minutes later, they were no longer there. Gutnik Center is silent, the ceramic shops opposite are closed.

The Pharmacy checkpoint, Tarpa”t checkpoint and the position on Tel Rumeida – bored Naha”l soldiers, no one passing by. The Zion route is still blocked on both sides.

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Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Wed 16.6.10, Afternoon

naomi — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:17:24 +0300

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16/06/2010

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Afternoon

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Zipi Z. and Nurit B. (reporting), Muhammad (driving)

Content

Translation: Bracha B.A.

Route 60
Opposite the Meitarim junction, people sell plants on the side of the road. Military vehicles of all kinds are scattered along the entire road.
The entrance to Abda, recently opened, is now blocked again, this time with large boulders: undoubtedly because of the near-by killing of a policeman last week.
Entire families, consisting of both adults and children, can be seen working in the vineyards, fields and orchards.

Hebron
At the entrance to Hebron, the settlement of Nofei Mamreh still stands unchanged.
In the city itself, soldiers are at their positions everywhere but no one is detained and there are no particular disturbances.
Michal's son is still doing excellent activities in the city, among which, also offering English classes to young people.
We all enjoyed the panorama today and the shift was blissfully uneventful.

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'Azzun, Habla, Jit, Wed 9.6.10, Afternoon

ranapa — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:01:40 +0300

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09/06/2010

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Afternoon

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Alix W., Susan L. (reporting)

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Summary

It's time to take an honest look at what the so called "Tel Aviv group" does on its shifts. Perhaps the routes we now take throughout the West Bank need to be reviewed critically in terms of the goals of MW: the course of our travels throughout the West Bank takes us to no checkpoints, at least none around Nablus, Qalqilya or Tulkarm (all have been removed), and one, maybe two agricultural gates; the overall itinerary has little to do with our goals of bearing witness, of monitoring the "freedom of movement" of Palestinians, the basic human right on which MachsomWatch was founded, and reporting on the same. We're rarely there when trouble with settlers occurs and never when the IDF makes yet another incursion, a nightly occurrence in Nablus. The terminal buildings, which a couple of shifts monitor a couple of times a week, are something else, but as in Bethlehem, we rely on the Ecumenical Accompaniers on the Palestinian side. So, where are we, the Central group of MachsomWatchers? And what are we doing? And why?

In spite of all the above concerns, not new, there is still something to report from today's shift!

Route 55 11:00 --
There's a third huge advertising sign (joining the other two which have graced this junction for some years), on the turnoff to the settlement of Alfei Menashe, advertising brand new housing (color mainly a bright orange: surely no accident!).

Azzun
A Border Police jeep stands across the roadway, and we note that the soldier stopping the minibus is quite elderly, probably a volunteer. A passerby tells us that this jeep is "always there… checking IDs," but no sign of it on our return journey.

Shvut Ami
The telltale house, taken over by settler youth a couple of years ago, is now painted blue!

Qedumim
New houses going up apace, no building stoppage here.

Jit Jct. and on the way to Sarra
Recently, it was announced that more checkpoints have been removed in the West Bank.
Sarra has not been accessible for a number of years, but the mathematics of the Occupier seem to be wrong. Here, on the roadway leading up to the village, there is a brand new barrier, made of cement blocks, adding to the one which was already there, a little further up the hill.

Shavei Shomron
There's now only one entrance to the settlement, on its brand new roadway.
Route 60 is closed, and roadwork is proceeding there. A large sign, "US AID," also bears the American flag and Palestinian Authority insignia: "Bizzarriya-Deir Sharaf road. A gift from the American people in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing."

Orange signs, in Arabic, English and Hebrew point the way to Nablus or Jenin, the latter approachable only via Anabta because of the roadwork.

12:30 Habla Gate 139
We arrive at the same time as the Hummer from which soldiers (religious) descend and fumble with the many locks on the many gates that make up this "agricultural gate."
There are seven people waiting to cross from the side where we stand, plus the inevitable donkey cart. There's a plethora of flags here now: two Israeli, another half green and half black (Armored Corps), yet another completely black and a third orange and blue. Two soldiers take their time checking on the far side of the checkpoint as people where we stand wait and wait. A third soldier finally emerges from the Hummer, leaving a woman soldier sitting inside, doing nothing.
A Palestinian tells us of a new ruling about gate opening times, as of tomorrow.
Sure enough, on the open gate, so that so one can see it, is a hastily hand written notice about new opening times:

6:45-8:00 13:45-15:00 17:00-18:30

These times, we're told, are hugely inconvenient to the Palestinians and will cause them many problems, so what else is new, but we promised to take this up with the DCO, or whoever can instill some sense (decency) into the Occupier.
The soldiers function as automatons -- but thorough automatons. Every pickup truck is thoroughly examined, each tractor checked inside and out, and plastic bags of produce fondled and peeped into; it matters not at all if the Palestinians are coming out of Habla or going into Habla.
All IDs are given to a soldier who marches with them off to the concrete checking booth as people stand in the sweltering noontime heat.

One soldier, in particular, stands out. He has no greeting for anybody, just suspicious eyes which survey each person, woman or man, with undisguised disdain.

12:55 -- the line of vehicles coming from the Habla side has to wait as the three soldiers confer in the middle of the checkpoint. The muezzin sounds in the near distance, and four people, men and women, plant something into the dry earth where, just two months ago, we saw potatoes being harvested.
And the seasons roll on ….

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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Mon 14.6.10, Morning

naomi — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:41:54 +0300

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14/06/2010

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Morning

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Netanya G., Yehudit K. (reporting), Muhammad (driver)

Content

Translator: Charles K.

Everything’s as usual, like an easy, pleasant morning walk. Until it turns out that things aren’t as they seem. Considering the fact that this was once a lively area in which a quarter of a million people lived. The emptiness and silence speak for themselves.

Sansana-Meitar

We were late, and no more laborers were waiting. One bus with relatives of prisoners waits off to the side, but we didn’t see any people. A live of trucks waited for inspection, but everything was peaceful. The bulldozers were also waiting to go into action on the eastern side of the checkpoint.

Route 60

Pretty busy: Many vehicles (in local terms), both Israeli and Palestinian. Since schools are on vacation, only a few children walk on the roadside.
Dahariyya is open, as is Dura Elfawwar. Soldiers were present only in the guard tower.
Kvasim junction is open, as is Bani Na’im.

Just as we passed Beit Haggai we saw a line of police vehicles, ambulances and emergency vehicles and we heard on the radio about the shooting attack that took place here.

On our way back we saw soldiers at every junction because of the attack. Palestinian cars were detained and Route 60 was partially closed. We waited to see what was happening, but didn’t see anyone arrested and drivers told us that their documents hadn’t been taken. We got the impression that the army behaved appropriately. There were a number of settlers who also found the road closed to them, which annoyed them. We continued on Route 317 to Beersheva, and other than at one of the entrances to Yatta we saw no soldiers.

Hebron

Quiet, dead. Even the bagel seller and the CPT people have disappeared. There were no soldiers along the Worshippers Route and on the road down to the Cave of the Patriarchs, nor at the Pharmacy checkpoint. Next to Beit Hadassah, the Tarpa”t checkpoint and in the Jewish part of Tel Rumeida the soldiers wave in a friendly manner at our vehicle. A military vehicle stands in the middle of the road in the Arab part of Tel Rumeida, but apparently isn’t in the way of the few people going past – actually, we and another man were the only people there. The CPT people feel it’s the calm before the storm, and that’s really the feeling.

Like they say: “Shhh – occupation.”

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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Wed 9.6.10, Afternoon

naomi — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 07:00:10 +0300

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09/06/2010

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Afternoon

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Muhammad, Nurit, Zipi (reporting)

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Translator: Charles K.

2:30-5:30 in the afternoon.

Route 60
On our way to Hebron, we noticed that, as our colleagues reported, the road from Dahariyya to Jerusalem is no longer blocked.

Farther on, instead of the dirt road leading to the village of Avda, and the roadblock that for years has been in the middle of that road, a broad, two-lane road is being constructed, and we witnessed asphalt being laid.

Hebron
Checkpoint 160: Soldiers patrol with drawn weapons, two detainees but TIPH people are also present. On our way back the place is empty. Later we ran into the detainees walking near the Cave of the Patriarchs, so everything seems to be ok.

Tel Rumeida: The soldiers tell us they had a quiet week. Suddenly, Anat Cohen appeared, clinging to us annoyingly; then she returns to her car, blocks the road, satisfied with herself, until a soldier goes over to her, says something quietly and she starts the car and drives off.

On the way back we stopped at the Sansana checkpoint. An additional external shed has been added to the building, with iron railings to indicate where people should wait on line, and also, apparently, to prevent crowding around the sole entrance to the crossing area which is composed of turnstiles. The market has moved back a little; there were beautiful fruits and vegetables from Dahariyya.