Maltreatment

Translation: Ruth Fleishman

We were last in line, waiting for the turnstiles to open so that we could pass into the inner inspection area. Neither we nor the people before us had noticed that the soldiers' post had been abandoned and the revolving mechanism was disconnected. Only one child who had passed through the gate before his mother had, stood on the other side, all alone, there was no going forward or backward. The child was entrapped.
During the first moments the child smiled with embarrassment, and then the smile was replaced by a worried gaze. He brought his body closer to his mother who was standing on the other side of the metal bars, took her hand and grabbed it tightly like a life preserving anchor.
The Palestinians, who are used to the arbitrariness by which the place is run, moved to the parallel inspection lane with acceptance. We stayed with the mother, cetin that within a minute or two the problem would be resolved. After all everything that happens in the checkpoint is filmed and broadcasted live to the plasma screens of those who run the site.
We were wrong.

The tears that started streaming down the cheeks of the child caused us to hurry and make some calls. We thought that as soon as we inform the hot lines the child would be released.
We were wrong again.

They all gave us the same answer: "I'm making inquiries".
We called again: "I'm making inquiries".
After twenty minutes, after having promised the mother and her son that "any moment now…"- "they will just look at their camera and someone will come and press the button…", "But I've only now explained to them, they are making inquiries and it will all be alright…", we understood that there was no telling how long the child will remain entrapped and detached from his mother, and Roni went to the parallel lane to request the help of the soldier sitting there, while I stayed with the mother and kept trying to talk to the people at the hot lines who over and over again could understand and connected me with the officer in charge, who also didn't understand and we ended up having an incomprehensive dialog.
-    The officer: "what is the name of his mother?"
-    Me: "I don't know"
-    The officer: "how will I identify him?"
-    Me: "He has two legs… why do you need to identify him?- just let go!!"
-    The officer: "wait, I don't understand, explain again, is he in the red zone?- where does he want to go to?"

Nearly thirty minutes later a solider from the offices was sent to press the releasing button. But before pressing he insisted on explaining that actually: "the child is to blame. He shouldn't have passed to the other side on his own". Not only was it the victims fault, but it was possible to prolong his suffering and put forth the occupier's narrative.

No one believes the Palestinians. That's why they are always equipped with a bundle of documents that prove their disabilities, their situation and their very existence.
Such was the 71 year old person from Jerusalem, a disabled and sick man who has difficulty walking and waiting in the cramped lines of Qalandiya only makes it harder for him.
The man presented before us his disability certificate, as proof of his bad health and told us how he is mistreated at the passage for residents of Jerusalem, where in spite regulations that allow the disabled elderly and pregnant women to remain seated in the bus, he is force to come down, walk to the pedestrians' checkpoint, stand in line, pass the turnstiles and be inspected (again) by the soldier.
"Write down what I'm telling you. Write it down"- he asked.

Translator: Suzanne O.

A visit to Kafr A Dik after the army 'Intifada'

Following this is a report of our visit to the Azzun Atma roadblock.  Unfortunately we didn't get to Haris.  (See request from a man from Haris at the end of the report.)

 We set out at 3:00 p.m., in order to find out what is going on at the Azzun Atma roadblock.  However, beforehand we went to Kafr A Dik because we were told that the army had just left there after demolishing two buildings and a rainwater well.

"We had an army Intifada here", we were told.

We went into the village, there beside the council a resident of the village met us and took us to where the terrorist act took place.

It was a long way along an unpaved lane between hills and rocks, under the tunnel and on the hill, between the beautifully tended olive groves.  Wonderful scenery!

We arrived at the ruins, it turns out that it was not a dwellings but a social meeting place in the heart of the countryside.

"We don't have anywhere to go to have a good time like you do, so we made ourselves a place.  Who does it bother?  I asked a soldier: why do you come over here every day, it just annoys us.  And he answered: That's the idea…"

"Make a film about us so that everyone knows and sees what goes on here".  We tried to explain that there are indeed people who make such films, but there is not much of an audience for them… to our shame.

We took both stills photos and a video.  I have to edit the video and it will take time.

The Report:

At 4:30 p.m. we arrived at Azzun Atma roadblock.  It is nothing like it was two weeks ago.

Reservists are stationed there and they work efficiently.  The queue is short and it moves and progresses satisfactorily.  We spoke to the soldiers.  They told us that in the morning the labourers cross this roadblock from the West Bank to the area of the juncture with Israeli territory, from there they can move into Israel with no problems.

Therefore, in the morning, the inspection is more stringent and it is more crowded.  In contrast, in the evening as they return from the Israeli territory to the West Bank, it is less stringent and therefore the queue moves faster.

However, when we started to leave Palestinians told us "Come every day, the queue moves more quickly when you are here…"

This completed our shift.  Although we wanted to go to Haris, where buildings were demolished today, dusk directed us homewards.

It is very desirable for members to go to Haris and contact the resident at the number we published.

Translator:  Charles K.

Waiting for God and the third intifada

13:00 - Habla

Palestinian women prostitutes in Israel???

A Palestinian man (who seemed to have been speaking for a long time; we arrived late):  …The day will come when they’ll be trampled underfoot.  You’ll see.  What kind of world is this? – I need permission to access my own land?!

“Now the Jew is in charge.  Not forever.  The soldiers are Satan’s emissaries.  They’re the emissaries of Satan in the world.  There will be an explosion in Nablus.  In Qalqilya.  There will be explosions everywhere.  People here have no food.  People have gone through and haven’t returned.  Women have gone through and haven’t returned.”  Seeing our uncomprehending expression, he explains:  “Women crossed to Israeland became prostitutes.  The time will come when they won’t be silent.  A woman who leaves her children – who’ll feed them if she gets sick?  They’ll learn to steal.  To do bad things.  You’re forcing us into it.  The Jews should… [curses], the Arabs should also… [different curse].  God won’t help us because we don’t heed him.  I read the Koran – the Moslems once ruled.  When we heeded God.  God asks the same things from Moslems, from Jews and from Christians as well.  Read the Koran.  No one helps us.  Only God will help when we heed him.  People in Africahave no water.  I still do.  The poor, wretched Africans.”

 13:10  The school bus returns.

Our friend prefers a jumpy Natan Zehavi and Carmela Menashe.

A Ramin, the Bedouin village which exists only so its inhabitants can be harassed and its buildings demolished.

We brought clothing for families whose buildings had been demolished.  “At 11 last night, while we slept, soldiers came and woke us, asked for our documents.  We must complain to the higher-ups.  UNRWA and the Red Cross provided tents and food for the children.  A week ago, someone from the Civil Administration at Beit Al Amar: Next month I’m issuing you a demolition order.  The tent is also illegal.  They don’t let us live.  We work in Alfei Menashe.  NIS250 per day, as gardeners, in construction.  The family moved here in 1960 from Beersheba.  The sheep had no grass.  Now there are few sheep, no grazing land.”  He doesn’t listen to Arab radio stations.  But he listens faithfully to Natan Zehavi and Carmela Menashe.  “That Carmela – someone whose head is clogged, she’ll talk it open.  Maybe you have Channel 10’s phone number.  Maybe they’ll help if something happens.”

“Once I thought: Jews and Arabs – brothers until death.  Today – if only there would be an intifada.”

15:10 – Ras Atiya

[A resident of Azzun described in detail the shortest route to Ras Atiya.  How astonished he was to learn we’re not allowed to enter Habla.  His expression said:  I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous.]

A new acquaintance, a resident of Ras Atiya, tells us we’ve come at a difficult time.  An elderly man has been killed.  They’re afraid more people will be killed.  [The background – a blood feud; no one know how it will end].  The Palestinian police can’t do their job and protect people’s lives because their mobility is restricted by the occupying army.

The army enters the village from time to time and prevents people from accessing their lands.  They sometimes come at two in the morning, at three.  They sound an alarm.  The soldiers’ faces are painted black.  If they catch someone, he could be detained for three hours.

The village has 1900 inhabitants.  Hundreds applied for permits during the olive harvest, but only 25(!) were granted.  Children also need a permit.  There’s no alternative – some abandon the crop, others pay half the crop to those who have permits.  The permits are granted arbitrarily.  Some get a permit for three months, others for a year, “depending on how they feel, how it was in bed with the wife.”  Landowners can’t carry out other agricultural activities because of a lack of a supportive economic infrastructure.  No one will compensate them for damages caused by weather (unlike in proper countries).  So someone who erects a greenhouse that’s carried off by the wind has lost everything.  He hasn’t yet even repaid his NIS12,000 loan.  Some have abandoned farming because of the miniscule return – NIS5 for a crate of tomatoes.

People say the magnetic cards are phony.  They’re only for the occupier’s benefit, so they can get a current photo and fingerprint.  Renewing a magnetic card costs NIS120.  The scanners are carcinogenic.

The most obvious fact is how many locals have been blacklisted by the Shabak.  That outrages and astonishes people we speak to because not even one stone was thrown here.  There’s no way to find out why someone was blacklisted.  The four people we spoke to have all been blacklisted.  Lawyers charge them very high fees, promise nothing and do nothing.  Who can afford to throw NIS32,000 to the winds?  Sometimes it turns out that the police have nothing against someone, but that’s not the case with the Shabak.  And, as you know, the Shabak doesn’t have to account to anyone.  The usual response:  “You’re blacklisted for 99 years.”  There are many collaborators in the village (and elsewhere as well).  Someone who refuses to collaborate can expect to be blacklisted permanently.

One man says:  “I worked in Israeluntil 2000.  I was a contractor.  Life was good.  I worked during the day and enjoyed myself at night.  I loved the Tel Aviv promenade.  I loved Jews so much I wanted to convert.  I once said, ‘We’re brothers unto death.’  Today – they can…[curses]. I hope an intifada will erupt.  I’m already 30, and still haven’t done anything with my life.  Go to sleep and wake up, go to sleep and wake up - that’s a life?  That’s no life.  The collaborator turned my life black.  I’d kill that informer if I knew who he was.  The whole problem is when you’re not a collaborator.  The terror is your fault.  When there’s nothing to eat, why are you surprised that someone will blow themselves up so their family receives $100,000.  You don’t want security.  In my heart I say:  ‘Lord, bring back the intifada.’”

Our interlocutor refuses to return with us via the absurd route we took.  He insists on taking us a faster way.  No one stopped us.  As he promised.

.

16:00:  When we reached Qalandiya we found only one passageway open in the pedestrian CP.  Passageway 4 was quite full.  Then we heard an announcement over the PA system that another passageway was opening.  But the soldier making the announcement did not quite know which passageway would open.  First he announced Passageway 2 and then Passageway 1 and finally Passageway 3.  Those waiting at the end of the line in Passageway 4 began running to and fro in a desperate attempt to shorten the waiting time, but in the meantime no new passageway was opened.  It was like watching an experimenter torturing his lab animals, or like someone making a horrible joke.  We began phoning:  first the passageway unit (the female soldier who answered had no idea what was happening), then headquarters (where they promised to make inquiries) and finally a new phone number where a man name Ya'akov answered and promised to intervene and resolve the difficulties.  (He was very nice, but not very quick about fulfilling his promises.)

After a quarter of an hour we began to see signs that Passageway 1 would be opened.  In no time there were 40 men, women and children waiting in line.  The female soldier in the "aquarium" announced that those in line should go to Passageway 4, and only when about half of those waiting had done so did she finally open the carousel and begin to process those on line.

When Passageway 1 began operating, the soldiers in Passageway 4 decided to call it a day and began organizing themselves to finish their shift:  they stopped letting people into the examination area, began to put on their ceramic vests and then sat down in their armchairs for a pleasant conversation.  We began another round of phone calls:  Ya'akov promised to set things straight, headquarters continued to inquire and the passageway unit said that they were taking care of the situation.  After another 10 minutes we phoned headquarters yet again.  Someone there must have phoned the soldiers in Passageway 4 because they finished their conversation and opened the carousel allowing people to enter the examination area.  At 16:50 things looked as though they were settling into a routine and the lines started to shrink.  Natanya and I went out to the parking lot.  On the other side of the CP we could see that the line of bus passengers was also quite long.

We saw a Palestinian ambulance in the vehicle CP and a Jerusalem ambulance awaiting its arrival in the bus parking lot.  Passage was not too long.  Within several minutes the Palestinian ambulance drove up, its passenger was transferred and continued on his way.
At 17:05 we returned to see what was happening in the CP.  Passageway 4 was closed and all the people had transferred to Passageway 1.  There were about 30 people in line, but the soldiers were working and the line was moving.

Translator:  Charles K.

In the midst of the disturbing silence we again examined the path between the apartheid stairs to the Cordova School to the neighborhood of the Tel Rumeida settlers, where a sign is posted restricting its use to Jews.

The soldiers are quiet today.

Suddenly a settler appears, coming down the road.  He pastes a poster on the decorated concrete wall which attempts to hide Hebron, the lively city at the foot of the hill. The poster recounts the injustice committed by the government against the settlers by limiting the Jewish settlement in the Hebron, compared to the excessive rights granted to the Palestinians. The soldier watching him talks on the phone about what the settler is doing.  In response to my question, the soldier says he’s obligated to report any such activity no matter who does it, and he’s checking to see whether the man is entitled to paste up the poster.  We learned something.

The unfortunate Cossack pastes up a second poster, this time on Shuhada Street, not far from Gross Square.  It explains why the adjoining shop had been closed.  We kept our eye on this energetic man.  He’d already reached the Cave of the Patriarchs and was preparing to paste up another poster containing the settlers’ pearls of wisdom.  To our surprise, Border Police soldiers prohibit him from doing so.  The order “came down,” arriving after he’d pasted the two previous posters.

We met Yehuda Shaul, from “Breaking the Silence,” who had come to show some VIP around.  We suggested he go look at the new posters.

The poor settlers have to convince people that their actions are justified.  They seem to feel they’re now really under attack.

A cup of tea with ‘Abed revives us somewhat and we leave this city.

We returned via Highway 317 and reached the Metzudat Yehuda checkpoint.  Merchandise crosses here, a few Jews and some Palestinian families living near Beit Yatir.  We waited in vain for the pupils.  Today, as it happened, they finish very late, and we can’t wait.  But once again we were exposed to the settlers’ behavior:  “Who are you?  What are you doing here?,” asks a settler passing by who stops next to us.  “Why should we answer you?”  “I wanted to invite you for coffee.”  How nice; really, really sweet!  He waves goodbye and drives on.  Who among us would dare ask a passer-by at the entrance to our town what he’s up to?!  The lords of the land are convinced it’s their right and their duty.

Meanwhile, cars go by.  The Jews are stopped, greeted and then drive on.

A Palestinian family arrives; since it’s one of the few permitted to cross into Israel, they’re certainly known to the soldiers.  They’re asked for ID cards, and their vehicle is inspected.

Translation: Yael S.

Translation: Ruth Fleishman

The Gate of Mercy or Palestinians have Patience in Abundance. Life they scarcely have.

An hour and twenty minutes is a lot of time when you are at the checkpoint and you advance only by twenty meters, given that it's not even the rush hour and most people are heading towards Palestine and not out of it.
After years of experience you know better than to wonder about that which is beyond you and which you will never understand. Only the soldier in the glassed post, who was driven out of his bubble by boredom, tried to explain: "It's in accordance with the orders… yes, the checkpoint commanders can see through their plasma screens everything that is going on both inside and outside… it's probably because the computers crashed…"  The soldier also showed some compassion for the parents of an ill baby who kept coughing and suffocating from the cough, they were on their way to get treatment in a hospital and when hearing their cry he opened the bullet proofed window, clenched the fingers of his right hand together and signaled them: just a moment…
The concerned parents stood in front of the post trying to shield their son from the Qalandiya chill and waiting for the "Gate of Mercy" to open. From time to time the distressed father would shout out to the soldier, and he would display once again the same signal with his hand, as if to say: patience…

Palestinians have Patience in Abundance. Life they scarcely have.
After only half an hour the gate opened for them, but not before an officer made sure that the infant's parents were "Kosher" and presented no danger to the safety of the Israeli state.

"In spite of it all I was lucky":
The "in spite of it all" which A mentioned to us, is his daily queuing up in the lines of Qalandiya, when finishing his day at work in Ramallah and returning to his home in East Jerusalem a journey that takes three hours.
The "in spite of it all" is also the constant threat, expressed or hidden, each time when A has to renew his permit to stay in Israel under family reunification (-such a long name for such a malevolent procedure) and when A recites before the person who will verdict whether he will receive the rod or grace: "I'm clean…", he is told that according to the computer, as a child he threw a stone. The throwing of the stone stands for the original sin that is always before him. And once, due to his infant crime he was denied the permit and only a lawyer could annul this harsh sentence, for that time.
The "in spite of it all" is also the pain he feels for his son who is bullied by Jewish children at his tennis lessons: "He is an Arab".
But mostly, the "in spite of it all" is the uncertainty and the fragility what the future holds for him and his family.  

And A told us: "in spite of it all I was lucky, since four years ago they discovered I had cancer in my stomach, because I have a permit, I got treatment at Augusta Victoria and not at the West Bank".

- A Kid's Toys:
"What have you got there?" the tens of people cramped at the metal bars heard the soldier say.
"A kid's toys", replied the interrogated person.
While grasping his son by his hand the man stood at the bullet proofed window, behind which sat the interrogator.
"Then open it so I can see!" said the soldier.
The man let go of his six year old son and the content of the bags was taken out according to her orders. There were neatly folded clothes as well as some toys in plastic wrappings.
"Spread it all over the floor!" screamed the soldier.
One by one the clothes and toys were placed on the filthy floor at the soldier's feet. The child, of whom the father let go, cramped himself to the wall, embraced a plastic rifle and looked straight into the lost eyes of his humiliated father standing in front of him.

-His time- Her time:
"I've been standing here for an hour…" complained a young man who reached the soldier's window, and she put forth before him a speech of reproof that was heard from one side of the checkpoint to the other: "You've been standing here for an hour? Really??? Do you know how long I've been here? Take a guess! Come on, guess! – Throw a number!- Got nothing to say! Then I'll tell you, I've been here for twelve hours! All day, all day, twelve hours! It's a little more than an hour, isn't it? Then that's it, no more complaints from you!"
The young man picked his belongings from the convey belt and made himself scares as the soldier finally said: "I need to pee!"

 Natanya translating

When there are no permanent checkpoints there are rolling checkpoints.

6.25 Azzun Atma. An innovation at the checkpoint. After months of complaints about the lack of shelter - a kind of an enormous tent covers the checking area as protection against sun and rain. But only there, over the heads of the Palestinians who are waiting in queues nothing has been built. A long line stretches out there and the drivers say that they have been waiting about an hour for their workers. There are reservists and a captain present but they do nothing to shorten the line of those waiting but adding a soldier who can register by hand. The soldiers say that it is not terrible that the workers are waiting in line because they would in any case have had to wait for their transport……

6.45 The Shomron crossing.  No blue police presence at the exit from Israel. At the entrance to Israel is more careful checking than usual.

The entrance of Marda and Zeita is open.

Za’tara/Tapuach.There are no soldiers at the checkpoint post but in spite of that the drivers go slower and there seems to be an interference with the traffic.

Burin/Yitzhar checkpoints.  No army activity.

7.10 Beit Furik.  At the entrance to the village there is again this week a rolling checkpoint. A group of soldiers have spread out a road's spikes and the traffic stands mainly at the exit of the village.  We counted 50.The soldiers tell us that this is the way it should be. We spoke to the DCO and they said that they would check if this checkpoint was necessary.  About 10 minutes later when we left the village we saw that the road's spikes had been removed and the soldiers and the line of cars had disappeared. 

At the “permanent” checkpoint at Beit Furikthere was no army activity

Awarta.The yellow bar still prevents the passage.

7.45 Huwwara checkpoint.No soldiers. 2 soldiers block the ascent to Bracha settlement. We did not see a soldier at the post opposite the hitching site.

Burin/Yitzhar  No army vehicle.

8.10 Za’tara/Tapuach.No soldiers at the posts.

 Shomron crossing.  A superficial check.

Translator: Hanna K.

Destruction in the Bedouin village Arab Ar-Ramadin

13:30 Habla – A tractor and a truck loaded with plants leave the village. 7 pedestrians are waiting to go in. It is quite in the area. There is nothing exceptional.

The door of the building above the well is open and we enter. We meet A. who is responsible for the coordination between the DCO and the plant nurseries, lives in Kalkilya, is the owner of a plant nursery and moreover is responsible for the 5 wells in the area. He tells us that the well isn't connected to the electricity and is therefore activated by diesel oil  which is much more expensive. Each farmer has to pay 2000 Shekels for water instead of 400 Shekels he would have had to pay had the well been connected to the electricity. There is underground water in the wells, which date from the thirties, serve all the farmers in the area and he cannot understand why the civil authority prevents them from connecting an electrical cable (3 phases) from the electricity pole which is situated 50 meters from the well.

He speaks fluent Hebrew and we continue our conversation with him and ask about other problems, and he tells us that soldiers destroyed on Monday two building in the Bedouin villagte of Arb A-Ramadin.

The childrens bus leaves at 13:55and we follow it to the village.

14:10 Arab Ar-Ramadin. At the entrance we meet a local Bedouin and he leads uf to the two houses which have been destroyed by the IDF. On Monday at 07:00 fifty soldiers arrived at the village on two jeeps and two tractors which immediately began the destruction work. A warning had been given a week before, but on Monday morning the inhabitants we removed from their houses and were not given the chance of taking out the house's contents. In one house live a couple and seven children and in the other a couple and ten children. Furniture, clothes, toys, electrical appliances, textbooks etc. – everything turned immediately into a rubbish heap. The army's claim was that the houses were built too close to the road leading to Alfey Menashe. The first house was at a distance of 200 meters from the road, while the second was even farther. The two houses were built by the inhabitants five years ago with an investment of 80.000 Shekels each, and now in the severe cold they are forced to live in tents supplied by the Red Cross. Photos of the galvanized tin walls and crushed plaster , the refrigerator, the gas stove and the teddy bears were put on to the web by Karin.

Very near the dwelling place stand three new high voltage electricity poles. Our hosts tell us that the people of Alfe Menashe settlement were against the positioning of the poles near their area for fear that they cause cancer, so they were transferred near the area of the Bedouins. We ask them whether they spoke to anybody? And they answer – who will listen to us??

We left bags of clothes and shoes and left shamefacedly, after promising that we would try to pass the information on to the media in Israel.

15:00 Eliyahu Crossing– about 8 vehicles are waiting in the queue in the direction of Israel.

We turn right to Azzun and continue to Kafr Thulth. We stop near the grocery and the pharmacy. The pharmacist with whom we talked in the past tells us that he still is the only person of his family who got permission to go out to the olive picking. We call J. from Ras Atiya but there is no reply. We decide to drive to the village all the same. With the help of a relative of J. who lives in Israel we reach the council building, but it is closed. We decide to call him and to ask him to prepare for us the list of all the people who didn't receive permissions to go out for the olive picking.

We return all the way to Azzun by way of Abu Salaman and the village of Thulth.

16:35 We take road No. 55 in the direction of Qalqiliya and Kfar Saba.

At the Eliyahu crossing (109) we decide to try and take the right side lane which is intended for Palestinians. The soldier who checks people at the CP asks us where we came from and we reply from Alfe Menashe. The barrier is lifted immediately and we pass. We didn't notice any cars that were delayed.