“Blockage of Life”

Translator:  Charles K.

Summary

Violence, as well as sexual harassment, at the Hamra checkpoint, long lines at the Tapuach checkpoint, the Gochia checkpoint isn’t open.

11:50 – Za’tara checkpoint (Tapuach junction) – Border Police soldiers stop cars in both directions, don’t request documents, don’t inspect anything, only ask, “Everything OK?”, as if to check people’s accents.  But at this hour, when there’s a great deal of traffic, that’s sufficient to create traffic jams everywhere, particularly in the direction of Ramallah.  Dozens of cars crowd into the plaza and far beyond, the traffic jam stretching farther than we can see.  The soldiers try to get rid of us; we stand quietly on the sidewalk but refuse to leave.  When we finally want to go, two military jeeps block our car from behind.  I maneuver around them.  One soldier stands in front of the car, blocking our way.  I ask the commander whether we’re being detained; he says no and tells the soldier to move aside.  We left.

Ma’aleh Efrayim checkpoint – 12:30

The checkpoint isn’t manned.

Hamra checkpoint – 12:45

Three soldiers swoop down on us as soon as we arrive, demanding we leave “their” checkpoint and stand at the junction, about 100 meters away.  Before we reach our usual observation point we stop by the water wagon, about 20 meters from the checkpoint.  The sergeant, very sure of himself and aggressive, yells to his soldiers to shut the checkpoint down.  When we tell him that’s illegal, he yells at us, “I’m the law!!  I do what the fuck I want,” and continues to repeat, “I’m the man – you better believe it!!”

All the checkpoint’s soldiers – about 10 – come over and surround us threateningly.  The sergeant grabs my notebook and refuses to return it.  He and his soldiers begin flipping through it and reading what’s written.  I was very worried, because it contains telephone numbers and ID numbers of Palestinians, but Yif’at went into the midst of the bunch of soldiers and grabbed the notebook back.  Both sides pulled until it was freed, but a Border Police soldier grabbed my camera and while holding it above his head pressed up against me.  I asked him not to touch me but he continued, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, very unpleasantly.  That allowed Yif’at to come up behind him and grab the camera from his hand.  The soldier laughed and kept pressing up against me until, finally, a few minutes later, he pushed me away.

The entire incident lasted not more than ten minutes.  I telephoned Zaharin, the DCO officer, while it was going on, and asked him to call the police immediately.  The checkpoint was closed during the incident; because it was rush hour the lines lengthened in all directions – to the east, toward the Jiflik, to the northeast, toward the settlements of Beqa’ot and Ro’i, and west toward Nablus.  Many laborers stood waiting on line along the road to cross to the West Bank.

An army jeep arrived with a lieutenant; I later learned he was the company commander whom Zaharan had called.  The officer, as usual, immediately backed up his soldiers and ordered us to leave:  “I have orders to close the checkpoint if you stay here.”  We moved to the junction so that the checkpoint would open for people to go through.  Before the checkpoint opened, one of the soldiers went over and said (in Arabic) to the waiting Palestinian laborers to tell us to leave.  The Palestinians mumbled something (“You see?  Look, they also want you to get out of here”).  When the soldiers moved away one of the Palestinians approached and said they had no choice.  But they’re very glad we’re here; we should come early in the morning.

The Palestinians crossing from Nablus later said to us that the soldiers at the checkpoint said they should tell us to leave.  They asked who we were, and when we explained they said “Kul al ahtiram [Good for you],” and thanked us for coming. 

The soldiers opened the checkpoint and then the police arrived.

The company commander went over to the policeman and told him we went into the soldiers’ booth and took photos of weapons and ammunition (a blatant lie!!).  I asked the policeman (Shlomo Na’amani) to look at the photos on the camera, but he refused.  I asked to file a complaint; at first the policeman, who was very hostile to me, told us to complain at the Ma’ale Efrayim police station.  We told him that we’d complained there in the past, but that we wanted to identify the attackers to him (he refused to get their names).  He sent me over to the patrol car where I submitted a complaint to another policeman, Nabil Tuba, who was businesslike and not hostile, although he too refused at first to write that the soldiers were violent or harassed me sexually, and said, “What’s the big deal – what did he do?  That’s not violence…”  Only after I insisted did he write what I told him.  He also agreed to look at all the photos on my camera and saw for himself there were none of weapons and ammunition, nor of the booth, and not even of the soldiers I tried to photograph (because they were standing too close, pushed me and nothing was in focus).

By the way, from what we could see before they closed the checkpoint, the crossing went quickly and we didn’t see any other delays.

13:50 – Tayasir checkpoint

3-4 cars from each direction which were let through as soon as we arrived.  We stood at a distance, but from talking to people waiting learned that recently there have been delays here of an hour and a half.  Today also – crossing proceeds slowly, and documents of those coming west from the Jordan Valley to Area A are also inspected.

15:00 – Gochia checkpoint

It hadn’t opened as of 15:15, nor had any Palestinians arrived.

17:30 – Ma’aleh Efrayim

Unmanned.

Translator:  Charles K.

Sansana - Meitar crossing

Packed with trucks and private cars on both sides of the checkpoint.  A sign of active commerce and many workers.

The shed and the revolving gates are empty.  All the laborers already went through.  “Normalization.”

Route 317

Almost completely empty.  Israeli flags flying defiantly, blatantly, all along the road.

At the turn to Carmel, energetic settlers paste everywhere they can posters reading:   “Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria next year.” 

There’s “hope” in the air this Rosh HaShana.  No one here has any doubts.

Route 60

Many army and other security personnel at the turn to Bani Na’im on the dirt tracks that bypass the road.  Soldiers on their way in to the locality.

A Border Police soldier blocks the road.  “Closed military area,” he says.  A jumpy officer chases us off rudely and demands we erase photos we’ve taken.  Hagit demands to see his ID and a document authorizing him to give us such orders.  In response he demands her ID, calls someone and gives them her details.

The law has “muscle.”  It seems to be very important to him to show who’s in charge here.  They’re apparently making a great effort to find the non-Jewish stone throwers.

Jeeps and soldiers at the entrance to Kiryat Arba.  The civilian guard cynically asks M., our driver, who’s a fan of Barcelona’s soccer team, and has its pennants hanging permanently in his car: “Isn’t it time to hang the tricolor flag with the triangle instead of Barce’s pennants?”  But, as always, he doesn’t prevent us from coming in.  “Just great!”

Hebron

There’s now a paratroop battalion in Hebron.

Next to Beit HaMeriva we ran into Osama, who lives on the Worshippers’ Route and as a result the entrance to his home was sealed about a year and a half ago.  He says nothing’s changed since then even though “Yesh Din” has tried to help him.  Nor does he believe there’s any chance his door will be unsealed.  Our friend B., who lives right next to Beit HaMeriva, also shows up.  He says the area has been quiet for a long time.  A paratroop officer and soldier watch the “traitoresses,” but don’t say anything.  All they’ll say to us is that they won’t get leave for the holiday, and they remember that when they were children people expressed to them the hope that when they grew up they’d no longer have to serve in the army.  What’s important is that, for now, the army “lives” in this house.  The adjoining Moslem cemetery is being renovated, and there are also concrete blocks and concertina wire everywhere.  Two elderly women trudge through the obstacles on the road which was once much easier to walk along.  They complain how hard it is to get through.  And we, as always, say nothing, embarrassed.

In general, what’s most noticeable in this [mixed Arab-Jewish] ghost town [Hebron] are the pedestrians.  Old men, women carrying babies and small children can only walk, ascend and descend difficult, steep paths up Shuhada Street toward Tel Rumeida, etc.  All so they don’t interfere with the movement of the “lords of the land.”  No detainees at any of the checkpoints.  Just the usual desperation.

On our way back, near Dahariyya, we met some young people.  One of them, who sells sheep, told us that yesterday, on his way to Nablus, near Ma’ale Mikhmash, settlers attacked him, threw rocks, broke windows in his vehicle and beat him.  He didn’t try to call for help because, in his experience, the police do nothing when Palestinians are attacked.  He simply fled.  He was also attacked two months ago near “Shavei Shomron.”  Now he shows us the marks on his car from the rocks.  He’d already replaced the window.  He agrees to notify us immediately the next time it happens so we can help him file a complaint and/or give him the names of our members who deal with that specific region so one of us can assist him.  We also suggested that he carry a camera with him and take pictures if he can do so without endangering himself.

  8:45-12:45

Purpose of shift:  A meeting with Eid in order to arrange and prepare art/music activities at Huda’s

preschool, specifically, to prepare the first two meetings with the children.  We didn’t bring a camera this time because the purpose was to meet with Eid and focus on a music/art program for the preschool.  It was a decision we regretted. 

Road 317:

Several kilometers south of Suysia, between Samua and Ghuane, we saw a number of vehicles on both sides of the road: border police jeeps and cars most likely of the civil administration. There were also heavy equipment vehicles.  Workers in civilian dress were working on an electricity pole on the Samua side of the road.  Further from the road on the Ghuane side, local residents were distanced from the work area by the army (there were also news cameramen and reports from an Arab news network). We stopped to see what was going on.  The first soldiers we talked with, innocently it seems, told us that there is a problem with the electricity poles and Israel is removing them in order to replace them with something safer. Of course, everyone who is aware of the reality of life in the southern Hebron hills understands that is complete nonsense. After talking with the locals and the reporters, it was clear that the electricity poles provide electricity to Ghuane from Samua. Money from the European Union – perhaps from the Palestinian Authority - paid for the work which was done a year ago. As we watched, one of poles was removed and placed on a truck to remove it from the area. Now the residents of Ghuane have no electricity!  According to Eid, who we met afterwards, the use of high poles was not allowed, and then later they were told that the electrical lines were not high enough off the ground and therefore were dangerous. On our return about 3 hours later, it was impossible to identify where the work had taken place – all the poles had been taken down and removed.  As in the fictitious Macondo of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, all footprints were simply erased – very unfortunate that we did not bring a camera this time. 

Um-al-Khair

It turns out that this is an especially active day for the destruction of property.  In the morning, the army (border police) arrived together with the civil administration and workers and destroyed a number of structures (outhouse, a tent, a sukkah, and perhaps other things) – again we regretted not bringing a camera!.  Because most of the houses of Um-al-Khair that are located along the fence of Carmel is slated for destruction, the residents are very worried, including Eid.  His wife didn’t go to work (she is a teacher at a school in Khashem-al-Daraj).  She and Eid moved most of their belongings (including their two daughters) to his parents’ house because the workers who destroy the houses are not careful when they removed belongings from them.   It was Eid and his wife’s good luck that this time their house was not destroyed but they were notified that the workers would return in two weeks to continue their destructive work.  When we left in the morning, we joked about the possibility of finding a coffee house along the way where we could meet Eid – and it was our luck to find a house (Eid’s) and also good coffee prepared by his wife.   We were filled with admiration and respect for Eid that given the circumstance, he was insistent that the meeting take place as planned.  Not many people could maintain such calmness in this situation.

What is the purpose of all this destruction, moments before the impending events in the international area? – it is not clear.  Somebody really wants to heat up the situation.

Guests: Shahar, Pu’ah and Arye

Translator:  Charles K.

 day of despair, even more than usual.

Meitar crossing

The Palestinian side is empty at this time, except for peddlers and people who aren’t allowed to enter Israel – it’s not clear why they keep coming.

There’s a lot of mess and filth everywhere.

As soon as we arrive, people approach us with notices from the police and from the Shin Bet that they’re not allowed to enter Israel and ask for our assistance.  We again explain that Sylvia will try to help them if they send her all the relevant documents.  Another referral to Chaya Ofek, and again we think there may be some people whom we can help to some degree.

Route 317

We decided to visit two sad, despairing places:  the first, people living next to the settlement of Sussia, the second, the residents of Bir el Eid, at the foot of Ya’akov Talya’s farm and the illegal settlement of Mizpeh Ya’ir.

Sussiya

Tents and sheds belonging to people who have deeds to the land dating from the Turkish period are scattered next to the attractive, thriving settlement.

Civil Administration personnel know about these deeds, and ignore them.  They’re permitting the settlers to abuse and harass these people, preventing them from grazing their flocks, plowing, planting, etc.

We sat in the tents’ shade.  The women smile and serve tea made with water from one of the jerrycans in which a little water is stored. “The owner,” in excellent Hebrew learned during 25 years working in Israel, tells us for the umpteenth time about his conflicts with the settlers, the police and the army, who always show up after the settlers have already plowed (at 1 AM), and “seem” to separate the sides and calm things down.  An “Israelbluff,” for the glory of the state of Israel.  “Look at the electrical cables,” he says to us.  “Look at the water pipes, all of them pass right by me and I’m not allowed to touch them, I can’t use them.  I can’t obtain electricity or water.”  A few almond trees and grape vines are planted next to olive groves and hothouses.  A small pen of goats, which also contains chickens, rabbits and doves, all of them gathered together, faint from the heat.  All the “residences” look the same, all are the same size, the ones for people as well as those for animals.  Staff from the Villages Group and international organizations installed wind turbines and photoelectric solar cells to generate electricity for the residents.  The poles carrying high-tension lines through their land provide electricity only to the “lords of the land.”  These inhabitants are “transparent.”  Suddenly police and military vehicles arrive.  The man we’re speaking with apologizes and hurries to talk with them.  “They came because I called them,” he says.  “Yesterday we were attacked again; they tried to expel us.”  We might be in the way.  We leave.

Bir el Eid

Approximately 90 people live in tents scattered in the valley between Mitzpeh Ya’ir (an illegal outpost) and Ya’akov Talya’s farm.  They say they’re only allowed to live in the caves.  They’re not permitted to erect a single tent or shack.  But the caves are small, and not appropriate for human habitation, so they’ve used cloth sheeting to erect tent-like structures.  Between 2009 and yesterday they’ve received 17 warning notices.  Their case is being handled by attorneys with the help of Rabbis for Human Rights.  The Civil Administration, knowing that the court will issue an order forbidding demolition until it reaches a decision, beat it by a day, and yesterday backhoes, bulldozers, soldiers and civilians arrived, demolished the structures and removed everything of value.  We saw the injunction, which came a few hours too late…  The Red Cross arrived, provided thin white tents, mattresses, water, etc.  There – the encampment exists once again.  They say the tents aren’t appropriate for the weather or for their needs.  We hope they’ll be able to get their goods back.  A list of what was taken has been given to the attorneys.

The inhabitants recount the brutal behavior of those who removed them, Civil Administration personnel and the army.  Again the same sight, Ya’akov Talya, his wife, his four children and his mother on the hill above, seven people living in attractive buildings.  His large barn and stables are visible, the water pipe leading to the compound, and the electrical pole.  Until someone decides otherwise, he gets everything a person needs.  The same is true at Mitzpeh Ya’ir, they have everything they need, while their neighbors are entitled to nothing.  Our hosts ask, “That all happened yesterday, and it wasn’t on the news?!  Wasn’t in the paper?”  Why should it be in the paper?!  Had one of those being thrown out defended themselves by attacking a soldier, “they” would have been written and published about.  But who cares about “them”?

We feel very ashamed and despairing, promise to write about it and publicize it as best we can.  That’s what it’s like in the southern Hebron hills, arbitrariness and evil, arrogance and obtuseness.

Hebron

Construction of the magnificent “Derekh HaBanim” at the entrance to Kiryat Arba has been completed, as well as the Nofei Mamreh neighborhood. 

Signs of life again at Mitzpeh Avihai on the hill to the right.

We also see adults and children again moving around at the Federman farm.

The Giv’ati soldiers have left.  Flags of the Kfir regiment wave in the wind.

Many tourists at both entrances to the Cave of the Patriarchs.

A large group of soldiers on Shuhada Street – the younger members of the regiment – leaving the historical museum of the Hebron Jewish community. They heard explanations that will help them to better serve the homeland.

We wonder whether anyone also explains to them why the street is deserted and why all the shops are closed.

Border Police soldiers man all the checkpoints near the Cave of the Patriarchs. They stop people briefly and immediately let them through. A guy with a watermelon at Curve 160 – both are inspected. The watermelon is also ok. Soldiers man the other checkpoints. Everything seems quiet.

We set out at noon, hoping that the later hour would show us a different face to Hebron. 

Sansana-Meitar

Empty except for a few trucks, including a load of not very happy cows

Route 60

Open and quiet all the way, hardly any soldiers to be seen.

Hebron

School-children were making their way home, passing freely through the checkpoints, their bags unchecked.

We visited the Jaber family along the Worshippers Lane whom we last saw in November 2010 when their home was regularly occupied by soldiers every Friday and Saturday. The mother of the family was more suspicious than on previous occasions but told us that the situation 'improved', the soldiers come only periodically and for shorter periods, but when they do so, the family is not allowed out of the house. There is considerable damage to the house roof, causing internal leaks and problems with electricity. The army/civil administration won't permit them to bring workers to mend the damage. We will update Yesh Din who handled the initial report.
 

 
 
9:10  Za'tara
There were no soldiers at this junction, in any direction. The traffic was moving smoothly.
 
9:20  The Road to Jit junction was open to all traffic.
 
9:25   Huwarra - The checkposts on the road going into and out of Nablus were open and there were no soldiers in sight. There was just one soldier, as far as we could see, in each of the 2 watchtowers.
 
Nadim suggested that we drive to Awarta because the entrances to the village had been blocked since Sunday. On the road to Awarta we enjoyed the fields of anemonies along the way.
 
9:30  Awarta             
There were no road blocks and we entered the village.  Immediately we noticed that the shops were almost all closed, and we wondered about the reason for this. At one small workshop with an open door Nadim stopped to talk with a young man standing outside. When the man saw who we were he invited us inside to talk with him, with the owner of the shop, and one or two more men who came in. This is the account of what happened that the men told us.
 
Awarta is the village that is situated directly under the hilltop on which Yitamar, the Jewish settlement, is built. Originally the village families owned 21,000 dunam of land (5,200 acres). The settlement of Yitamar took over 11,000 dunams. At that time they uprooted many olive trees to make room for the settlement. Of the land that is left to the Palestinian villagers, 10,000 dunams, they are afraid to work on 6,000 of them because of the proximity to the settlement. The American billionaire who gave the money to set up the settlement said, on a visit to Yitamar, that it must be expanded and made into a city because it overlooks Nablus. At this time some new caravan homes can be seen on an expanded area of the settlement.
 
On Friday night the horrendous murder of 2 parents and 3 children took place in Yitamar. On Sunday, 13.3.2011,  the army closed all entrances into Awarta and for three days terror reigned in the village. Although the army has no evidence that the murderers came from Awarta, the village  took the collective punishment meted out to them. The army unit of about 22 soldiers (blue berets) plus several army dogs went into every house in the village. They arrested 52 men and took them away. The families do not know where they are. A Palestinian lawyer for the families believes that they are being held in the Huwarra military base, very near the village.
 
In every home they entered the soldiers did the maximum amount of damage they possibly could. They broke furniture, overturned appliances, vandalized possessions, threw whole contents of cabinets and closets all over the house, and even broke through walls. In one house they found a young man who is mentally disabled living alone. They took over the house, slept there at night, humiliated the man and made him the butt of their jokes for hours. In several houses that they took over they forced the family to stay in one room while they were there. They used the houses for sleeping, and also used the family's food and water supplies. In one large house there are two bathrooms/toilets; the soldiers deliberately relieved themselves all over the house, on the floors and on the furniture. Many families claim that that there was stealing by the soldiers, especially gold jewelry and money.
 
The dogs were also brought into the homes. The soldiers led the dogs all over the food supplies in the houses, making them unfit for consumption. In one house the owner had produced large plastic containers of Labena for selling; the soldiers stomped on every one of them, breaking the plastic containers and spilling their contents on the floor. When the owner of one house spoke to the officer who was leading the soldiers, and asked him why the villagers were being punished when there was information that it was Thai workers who had murdered the family, the officer became enraged and the damage that was done to the house was even greater. The soldiers broke into the local pharmacy; they trashed the shop and the storage room for medical supplies. One of the young men sitting with us had been beaten by the soldiers; he wasn't the only one.
 
On Monday, 14.3, about 1,000 settlers came to Yitamar, ostensibly as a condolence visit. They threw stones down at Awarta and further vandalized the 3 nearest houses of the village as they shouted, "death to the Arabs!" In the yards next to the houses, the locks on the metal covers on water wells were broken and water was wasted and possibly contaminated. The soldiers left the village on Tuesday evening; the roadblocks that had closed the village were removed only on Wednesday evening.
 
Ten years ago, during the second intifada, the village had been put under closure for a long time. Those were bad times, but our informants said, not as bad as now.  A year, to a year and a half ago, 3 men of the village were killed, one by soldiers and two by settlers. But the situation this week was the worst they had known. When we asked the reason for the closed businesses that we had noticed in the village we were told that the people were simply still afraid. The men were all certain that the murders were not committed by Palestinians. The stories that were being told of the murders on television just weren't believed by the people who live closest to Yitamar. As they said, even if the murderers got into Yitamar by using a branch to get over a 3 meter high fence, how did they get out again? The story just isn't possible.

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Translation: Bracha B.A.

·       Children crossed the Shaked-Tura checkpoint after waiting for half an hour.

·       An incident at the Reihan-Barta'a checkpoint

06:40 A'anin Checkpoint

The last of the farmers has crossed from their village in the West Bank to the seamline zone.  About 80 people crossed this morning and we are told that 81 new permits have been issued about two weeks ago. One person tells us that his wife has not been issued a permit, even during the olive harvest, and another tells us that his 50-year-old uncle has not been issued a permit.

At 06:50 everyone has crossed. The Bedouin children who live at the village beneath the checkpoint are waiting for a ride to school at Um-A-Reihan.

07:00 Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

Young children are waiting with their fathers to cross on their way to school.  Yesterday they did not attend school because they were told they had to be checked in the inspection facility.  Today they are waiting again.  (See report from March 16^th, 2011).  Today the soldiers are standing next to the shed outside the checkpoint, which is not their usual spot.  They return to the checkpoint but don't open the gate.  A., a representative from the Liaison and Coordination Administration, is also there and it appears they have not yet decided what to do.

At 07:15 there are about 25 people waiting next to the turnstile on the Tura side, but no one has crossed yet. The first car comes up to be checked on the seamline zone side.  About 30 children are waiting and a commotion begins at 07:30 on the Tura side.  The soldiers are still waiting.  Finally the children enter the checkpoint, and as usual they line up to be checked and a soldier inspects their schoolbags.   After a few minutes all the children have crossed.  A few fathers are still standing on the other side talking about the problems that the checkpoint creates for them and for their children.  At 07:40 people also cross from the West Bank to the seamline zone.

At 07:50 a few people are still waiting by the turnstile, and the checkpoint returns to its usual routine.

At 08:10 we drove past the Reihan Checkpoint.  A few cars are parked, waiting to be checked.  Tenders loaded with merchandise are waiting on the other side. The gates to road 596 are locked as usual.   About a dozencars are parked on the southern side on the road leadingtoKafin and Tul Karem, and two are parked on the north side, leading to Zibda.  .

08:20 Dotan checkpoint
There is a line of six carscoming from Jenin. One car is checked at random.  Three buses with children are going towards Jenin.  It is wonderful weather for a school trip.  We also drove to Hermesh Checkpoint.  The gate on the road leading to Tulkaremwas open and unmanned.

08:50 Reihan - Barta'a Checkpoint

On our way to the checkpoint, we received a phone call and were told that there were a lot of people waiting at the checkpoint and people were held up. The Palestinian parking lot was filled to capacity and there were about 200 angry people waiting. We learned that the terminal had been closed about 40 minutes agoand it was not clear when it would reopen. People thought that perhaps a closure had been declared.  We were told that there was an incident in the terminal. There were also 10 pickup trucks with agricultural goods waiting to cross to the seamline zone.

At 09:15 a security officer announced that everyone was to go to the vehicle entrance gate. Immediately people congregated there and the people from the Liaison and Coordination Administration attempted to keep order.  Everyone was angry and in a hurry.  Some gave up and returned to the lower gate to the terminal where they thought they would get in faster.  One woman was waiting with the men and was allowed to go in, and a dozen men were also allowed in with her.

At 09:40the gate to the terminal opened. The woman in the booth instructed people to enter five at a time.

By 10:00 everyonehad entered the terminal.  We saw that people were already ascending the sleeve towards the seamline zone, but we didn't know when everyone went through.

We left the checkpoint and returned through Barta'a. Despite the fact that a lot of workers did not arrive, the marketplace was busy.  In the evening a man phoned Ruthi and reported that there was still trouble at the terminal.  He had to wait about 20 minutes to get into the terminal and it took about 40 minutes to get through.

07:45 Shaked-Tura checkpoint

Along the road before the checkpoint tens of children with two adults walked back and forth, all of them residents of the Seam Line zone. The children attend educational institutions at Tura, the near-by village, which is close to to Palestinian checkpoint on the Palestinian side. One of the adults told us that children are no longer allowed to cross over to their kidergartens and schools with the soldiers inspection and are now requested to go through the inspection cabin.

We were told that following the deadly terrorist attack at Itamar and the discovery of a suspecious object at this very checkpoint, children yestreday were requested to undergo inspection inside the cabin. Children lack the strength to open the heavy steel door, and in addition their schoolbags have metal buckles, and their clothes sometimes have metal decorations as well, which might trigger the alarm in the inspection booth. They'd be forced to undress and empty their bags and inspection might take forever, therefore the adults have decided against that move. One of the adults called the DCo asking that the children would continue to cross over as usual. THe DCO had refused. We too called and  our request has been denied. Our attempt to explain that the children were neither involved in the terror attack at Itamar nor did they have any connection to the suspicious object, fell on a deaf ear.

Both the DCO and the Palestinians had fortified themselves with their convictions.

The bottom line - The children did not cross over to Tura and wandered on the main highway by the checkpoint.

10:00-  Soldiers lock the gate for their usual break. The children remained on site.

10:15 We leave. The children by the checkpoint. Tomorrow residents plan to continue the children's protest.

We'll report.

10:30 - Reihan-Barta'a checkpoint

New signs at the checkpoint vicinity. Six trucks had entered the inspection area. Relatively a large number of people came out of East Barta'a in the direction of the West Bank.

One person had brought a cardboard full of eggs without an early coordination and was forced to take it back.

1:30- We left. There were no unusual problems

Natanya translating

A security incident in the area of Habla.

13.50The gates are closed. There are no soldiers in the area. From the direction of the village 2 buses with pupils wait. It is cold and rainy and grey. Those who are sitting in the shelter say that the gates did not open at 13.00. Some of them have lit a fire. We phone the DCO and hear that there has been a security situation and the soldiers were sent to deal with it. We explain the situation at the gate and are told that they are aware of the situation. Only when the situation has been resolved will the gates be opened. We phone the Humanitarian centre. They had heard about the situation from a woman in the bus. We are passed over to the Centre but they have nothing new to tell us. No one is prepared to say when the gate will be opened.

14.30A Hummer passes on the patrol road but does not stop. Rumors tell of an incident at the entrance to the  nursery of Al Haruf (the first that is met on the way of those going in the direction of Israel. 3 army vehicles and a number of soldiers around them. Because of the rain and the fog on the car windows it is hard to see what is happening and it seems that there is a bound man sitting on the ground with his back to the army vehicles. Not very successful attempts were make to photograph the army vehicles on the other side of the nursery.

14.50We go back to Habla. Some of the Palestinians have despaired and have begun a journey on foot to the Eliyahu crossing and from there will go with a taxi through Qalqiliya and Habla. Also the buses with the children have gone through Qalqiliya. Those who remain light fires. We go back to the incident at the nursery. Only a lone jeep has remained but the gates of Habla do not open and those at the Centre answer politely that there is nothing new to report.

15.00The Eiliyahu crossing  some lone cars in all directions. We go to Huwwara and meet a General Security Services prohibited.

At Git junction there has been an accident between an army vehicle and a Palestinian vehicle. Police and ambulances are present.

15.40 Huwwaracheckpoint.  No soldiers to be seen. A few cars in both directions. In the village we meet M. who is General Security Services prohibited. He has to sign some forms.

Huwwara village. At the falafel store where we speak to M. who worked for many years in Israel and speaks Hebrew we are approached buy Ramzi. who  tells us that the day before yesterday he and his brother went through at the Huwwara checkpoint in their car to Nablus and a border policeman stopped them and hit his brother, shouting, “Why are you looking at me . Why do you not know Hebrew. “ We gave him the card of Machsomwatch in the hopes that he can be helped.  

Armed with falafel and knafe we go to our car and a procession with Salem Faid accompanied by Israelis guards close to him passes us on the way to Nablus. Is this the reason that there are no soldiers at the checkpoint?

 After all yesterday and the day before the checkpoint was manned. And maybe at last IDF has decided to take down this unnecessary checkpoint.

16.35We go back to Habla to see what is happening since we left. We go through Einabus, Jamma'im and Deir Istiya to road 55 which returns us to Habla. It seems that because of the rain  the road is almost empty of cars and along the way the almond trees are in blossom amongst the olive trees.

17.30 The Eliyahu crossing.We pass quickly through the route of the settlers and enter Habla. The passage is open. There is no one waiting there. We hear from the soldiers about the incident which ended only at 16.50 and then the gate was open. The reason 3 Palestinians jumped over the fence and the soldiers were conducting a search. We try to speak to the soldier but the military …….shut them up.

There were people especially older people who had been waiting from 13.00

18.00 we leave Habla and go back to Kfar Saba.

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Translator:  Charles K.

The photograph:  Here in Tayasir checkpoint cars are inspected on the right, down on the road.  Pedestrians are inspected on the left of the road on which we are standing.  We’re not in the way and aren’t in the inspection area, unlike what the military spokesman claims.

Summary
An emergency shift at the Tayasir checkpoint in the wake of reports during the past three weeks of difficulties here, and harassment of the 18.1.11 shift. 
We met in the morning with Taufiq Jabarin, an attorney representing Jordan Valley residents in suits dealing with home demolitions, denial of access to water, etc.  We’d put him in contact with representatives of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which is considering a legal attack on the closure imposed on the Jordan Valley, and perhaps also the problem of water.

14:00  Bezeq checkpoint
Two female and one male soldier dance in the entry lane to Israel.  There’s a soldier standing in the booth at the entrance to the Jordan Valley, doing who-knows-what.  He doesn’t even glance at us.

14:15  Tayasir checkpoint
Three cars were waiting to the east and two more to the west when we arrived.  No one was inspecting them.  When the inspection began we saw that cars from the Jordan Valley entering the West Bank also are inspected rigorously.  Then we saw that all the passengers on a bus carrying laborers, with whom we’d spoken while they were waiting to cross, had to get off (on their way to Palestinian territory, Area A).  It’s a long and harassing procedure when 30 people are involved.  We haven’t seen anything like that for at least a year.

As soon as we arrived, and were still a long way from the checkpoint, the commander ran toward us and told us to park at the junction, about 100 meters from the checkpoint.  We explain politely that we’ve been standing next to the checkpoint for five years, we don’t talk to the soldiers and have no intention of interfering with them.  We continued on our way and stopped on the side where we always do, outside of the inspection station and the canopy in front of it (which provides shade for the soldiers’ food and equipment).

Lt. Shmulik, the checkpoint commander, orders the soldiers to close the checkpoint and stop Palestinians from crossing.  The soldiers don’t give the order a second thought and close the checkpoint.  In ten minutes long lines of cars have formed, particularly from the direction of the Jordan Valley toward the West Bank.  We call the checkpoint non-com and the deputy director of the DCO, but no one answers.  We call the lawyer and ask her to fax an urgent complaint to the legal advisor.  We also contact Raya, the spokesperson, who notifies the media.  As the line gets longer we retreat, and the checkpoint opens a few minutes later.  After the lines have disappeared we return to our usual location and the story repeats itself.  The commander orders the soldiers to close the checkpoint, and so on and so forth.  Capt. Uri Ron arrives, and afterwards a major, both of whom authorize the commander to close the checkpoint.

The Palestinians suffer greatly from all this.  Some are laborers who left home at 4 AM to work in the settlements, some are students returning from class, others are people hurrying to do their errands.  The Tayasir checkpoint is the only connection, however limited, between residents of the northern West Bank and civilization.  The checkpoint is stuck like a bone in their throats and makes it hard for them to lead a normal life.  During the last three weeks, when the Jordan Valley commanders were rotated as well as the unit manning the checkpoint, delays and closings multiplied under various pretexts.  People can’t get home, or arrive very late.  Two weeks ago, for example, dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, were held in the rain, without shelter, for two hours.  Not a day passes that Palestinians don’t call me complaining about lengthy delays (over an hour), about the checkpoint being closed down, on people not being able to get home or to work.  Some of the Palestinians were angry that they were suffering because of us, or so they thought.  Others told us that in the morning, before we arrived, there were also long delays, and asked us to keep coming.  They said what was clear in any case, what was so obvious:  “The soldiers don’t want you to see what they’re doing, so they’ll be free to injure us, which is why they chase you away from the checkpoint.”

At 16:15 Sergeant Nissim Vaknin, a policeman, arrived.  He heard what the soldiers had to say, and asked us to show him where we were standing (we were far away from the checkpoint when he arrived in order to avoid providing an excuse for harassing the Palestinians).  When we went to show him, the commanders again ordered the soldiers to close the checkpoint.  We asked the policeman to intervene, since had asked us to show him – but he ignored us.  He was nice, but helpless.  He asked us politely to stand where we couldn’t be heard or seen; he didn’t know what to do.  “What do you care?,” he said.  All he wanted to do was to end the incident quietly and go home.  Finally I told him to go to where he wanted us to stand, and if he can see and hear what I do and say at the checkpoint, we’ll stand there also.  He shrugged.

While the policeman was there a car dropped off five laborers near the checkpoint (perhaps the driver got frightened by the police presence).  They ran to cross on foot toward Tayasir, on the West Bank.  Initially, the soldiers were uncertain whether to allow them through – to go home, to Area A (!), but finally did so (perhaps because we were there).  One of the IDs was worn out; the photo wasn’t firmly attached.  All the laborers were delayed for ten minutes while it was examined.  While they stood waiting the major told the captain that they should be standing so close together, “it’s bad enough if they stand one-by-one.”  They were at least 50 meters from the soldiers, but here’s how another prohibition develops – not only aren’t they allowed to arrive at the same time, they’re not allowed to stand together far from the soldiers.

The checkpoint commander finally filed a complaint against us and we filed one in response.  Kal’am fadi – empty words.
17:15 – We left.

17:40  Hamra checkpoint – No lines
18:00  Ma’aleh Efrayim – Two soldiers and a civilian settler in shorts and a long tzitzit (fringed garment) stand at the checkpoint behind the concrete barriers.  After what just happened at the Tayasir checkpoint, we could only raise an eyebrow.  But maybe not.