'Awarta

Translator:  Charles K.

The usual line at Azzun Atma – about 150 Palestinian laborers returning home forced to wait hours by the side of a heavily-trafficked road, with no shelter over their heads, whatever the weather.

14:00 

Habla checkpoint - Vehicles and people on foot manage to go through after being inspected, just before the gate closes.

14:20  Eliyahu crossing – A Hanukkah menorah at the entrance to the checkpoint with holiday greetings from the Shomron regional council.  We later see the same thing next to the Palestinian house outside the fence at Azzun Atma.

14:27  Entrance to Azzun village (Highway 55) – Four armed soldiers stand at the entrance gate.

14:45  Jit junction – We didn’t see a parked military vehicle.

At the turn to Highway 60 (toward Huwwara) – installation of nighttime lighting stretching for kilometers is nearing completion, for the settlers of Havat Gil’ad.

14:50  Huwwara checkpoint – A soldier in the guard tower next to the inspection booths.  A soldier guards the hitchhiking station at the entrance to the Bracha settlement.

14:55  Awarta checkpoint – The yellow iron bar is closed as usual – no access to

Nablusfrom here. 

Large military bulldozers working energetically at the northern entrance to Awarta, creating long, high

earthen berms.

Back to Highway 60 – heavy traffic between Nablusand Ramallah.

15:40  Za’tara checkpoint – Two soldiers at the inspection station.  They’re not inspecting.

15:50  Ariel industrial zone –Very large hangers under construction to the north as well as to the south.

16:00  Azzun Atma checkpoint – About 150 Palestinian laborers returning home after a day of work stand in a very long line waiting to be inspected under a canopy sheltering the soldiers (most of whom today wear yarmulkes and earlocks.  One speaks in English – a new immigrant).

The laborers are used to the occupation’s tricks – one day there’s no line, the next day there is.

We contact the humanitarian office so they’ll speed up the crossing – “We’re taking care of it,” they respond; “I’ll do the best I can” [Noga], but it doesn’t appear that anything will really help.

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Translator: Hanna K.

No miracle happened to us, but we did find a jar with oil.

 06:35 Azuun Atma: The queue is shorter than usual. Very many workmen wait on the other side of the road for transportation to work. The CP commander, a reservist, takes care to remove us beyond the CP area. The man seems to be somebody who invests a lot in his job. He directs the waiting people to the checking posts and to another soldier who registers the people who wish to go out. The CP is bordered by fences and plastic obstacles which channel the Palestinians to leave in one direction only. According to him he sees to is that in the afternoon too the queue advances quickly.

We asked one of the people who were waiting to go out and he confirmed that this morning the waiting time was short and yesterday evening too less terrible than usual. It therefore seems that if one wishes one can do that without infringing on the Security of the Fatherland.

06:50 At the Shomron crossing there is no Blue Police at the exit from Israel. A big yellow signpost warns the drivers not to bring their vehicles for repairs at Palestinian garages.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za'tara/Tapuah: There are no soldiers at the checking posts. There is heavy traffic up the hill.

Yitzhar/Burin CPs: There is no military activity.

07:10 Beit Furik:At the entrance to the village there is no flying checkpoint. At the regular Beit Furik CP too there is no military activity.

Awarta: The yellow arm still prevents the passage.

07:45 at the Huwwara CPthere are no soldiers. There is one soldier at the incline up to the pool. We didn't see any soldier in the position opposite the hitchhikers' station.

Burin/Yitzhar:There are no military cars.

08:10 Za'tara/Tapuah:There are border-policemen in the position but there is no obstruction to the traffic.

At the Shomron crossing the checking is superficial.

 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.

Habla

13:30 –

The Palestinians who enter and some of those who leave praise the woman soldier at the gate (from the Military Police). Listening to an argument between a soldier and an elderly resident accompanied by a boy, we have learned a new term. The birth certificate of children under 16 that has to be in their pocket every time they enter or leave, is called "Kushan" [The term Kushan, used here figuratively, is a certificate of registration of immovable]. The boy didn't have the certificate but they were finally allowed to leave, with a warning. Old tractors and donkey-drawn carts pass and a school-children bus arrives at the exit.

14:00 –

The soldiers check the bus, the driver and the children for over 10 minutes. The whole while, three workers who wish to return to their village stand waiting near us. Suddenly the gate closes and the woman soldier who checks documents on the computer refuses to let them in. we intervene and explain that the workers were here on time. The commander orders her to run the check personally and within a minute they are let in.

Huwwara

15:00 –

The traffic is streaming and no soldiers are seen. At the square, in a camouflage net covered post, a soldier can be seen with his gun pointing in the direction of Huwwara.

Awarte

15:15 –

We enter the village and see no military at all.

Za'tara

16:00 –

A row of 12 cars waiting to pass. The traffic is streaming but in the adjacent parking lot about 8 men and women soldiers are checking thoroughly a Palestinian car whose driver and two passengers are standing outside. While all the parts of the car are being checked and the trunk is being emptied, a dog trainer arrives. Everyone is watching the dog doing its work and another dog trainer is waiting with her dog. We understand that we are watching soldiers training a search in a suspicious vehicle. Nearby a military jeep that was about to leave changes its position after seeing us and stands at an angle that hides the sight from us. We wonder if the owner of the vehicle is compensated for the time he lost for the sake of military training.

Azzun Atme

16:30 –

We go to Azzun Atme following our friends' complaint about what is going on at the time the workers leave and get back. We find a line of 25 people waiting in a narrow passage adjacent to a busy main road. The first group is quickly vacated and checked in the big, canopy covered area, where soldiers are standing and checking documents. Vehicles keep coming every few minutes, sending out workers who are ordered to regroup and stand in one line close to the road and then ordered to hurry in order to make room for the next group. We cannot understand why the workers are not told to right away in lines in the covered and safer area, where they won't crowd in a narrow, dangerous row. It is obvious that the covered place is meant only for soldiers.

A large group of soldiers arrives accompanied by a company commander and three vehicles, maybe following the complaints about the last days' events. According to the soldiers, the big pressure at the entrance and the exit started after the Ramadan [a Muslim holiday], which neither they nor the workers can explain. We even hear a settler from a nearby settlement complaining that leaving in the mornings is so difficult that many contractors left without the workers. We feel for those who lost a day of work.

Translator:  Charles K.

Not a pleasant day, long queues and flying checkpoints

06:15 As we left Ramat Hasharon, we already encountered an Israeli police checkpoint.  It’s not clear why – maybe in the name of equality.

06:25 Azzun Atma:  A long, long line.  Reservists and MP’s who don’t make much effort to shorten it by assigning a soldier to register people by hand.  Instead, the focus on physically inspecting those leaving and their bags of food.  In response to our question, they explain that these people are likely to attack with knives.  When we asked when was the last time a terror attack occurred at Azzun Atma, of course they couldn’t give us an answer.

At the checkpoint we ran into Nura and Hanna, who were taking a different route.

No Israeli police at the Shomron crossingexit from Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za’tara/Tapuach:  Soldiers in the inspection booths, but traffic isn’t impeded.

Yitzhar/Burin checkpoints:  No military activity.

07:10  Huwwara checkpoint plaza – A group of soldiers moving into their positions (at the entrance to the Bracha settlement and opposite the hitchhiking station).

07:20  Beit Furik:  A flying checkpoint at the entrance to the village this week as well.  Soldiers set up a spike barrier; traffic stopped in both directions.  We try to bypass the line, like the settlers do, to ask the soldiers why the delay, but they made us get back into the line and wait patiently like the other residents.  Meanwhile, dozens of additional cars arrive from both directions.  A taxi tries to turn around and return to the village.  We couldn’t hear why, because we were too far away.  We telephoned the humanitarian office, the DCO and the Ministry of Defense; they said nothing could be done.

07:50  We left the village and saw the checkpoint had been dismantled, the soldiers had disappeared, and so did the line.

Awarta:  The yellow iron bar still prevents free passage.

08:00  Huwwara checkpoint -  No soldiers.  A soldier blocks the road up to Bracha settlemrnt.

Burin/Yitzhar:  A military vehicle parked in the parking bay, but doesn’t interfere.

 08:20  Za’tara/Tapuach:  No soldiers in position.  A military vehicle in the parking lot but we didn’t see it interfering with Palestinians.

At the Shomron crossing, we’re asked to open the trunk.

Translator:  Charles K.

An unusual day, because of, or despite, the holiday.

06:30  Azzun Atma:  An unusual sight greeted us when we arrived at the checkpoint:  three handcuffed young men, blindfolded with strips of flannel, lying behind two plastic barriers.  The solitary soldier guarding the checkpoint reports they’d been brought by a group of soldiers who’d caught them nearby trying to cut the fence.  They’ve been waiting more than an hour for the police, who are taking their time arriving.

 The soldier told us he had to blindfold them so they couldn’t escape.  He’s there alone, except for the MP.  Where are the other soldiers?  You won’t believe this:  there are fleas in the guard tower so they’ve reduced the number of soldiers stationed here.

The line is very long,even though the holiday hasn’t ended and we wouldn’t have expected people to be going to work.  Apparently the need to make a living takes precedence.

No police present at the Shomron crossing for people leaving Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

 Za’tara/Tapuach:  One male and one female soldier in the inspection booths, but traffic isn’t delayed.

 Yitzhar/Burin checkpoint:  No military activity.

07:10  Driving up Har Bracha:  The soldier inspects Palestinian cars driving up the hill.

A military vehicle parked at the entrance to Itamar.

07:20  Beit Furik:  A flying checkpoint at the entrance to the village.  Soldiers set up a spike barrier; traffic is stopped on both sides.  We bypass the line and try to find out from the soldiers the reason for the delay.  They simply don’t understand the question.  We were told in the village that this happens routinely, from time to time.  We asked the DCO, who told us they knew about the checkpoint.  The checkpoint was still there when we left the village, but almost none of the vehicles leaving were being checked.

Awarta:  The yellow barrier arm still prevents free passage.

07:45  No soldiers at the Huwwara checkpoint.

Burin/Yizhar:  No military activity.

08:25  Za’tara/Tapuach:  No soldiers in the positions.  Traffic police in the parking lot, but we don’t see them bothering the Palestinians.

At the Shomron crossing we’re asked where we’re from (Ramat Hasharon, we answered), and a policewoman asked us to open the trunk.

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14:00 Habla CP – The passage is open. The children's bus has passed.

14:20 A group of soldiers is at the Jit intersection.

14:45 Huwwara CP: a soldier comes up to us, he has investigated the matter. Claimed that the CP is always open. If so – what are the soldiers for? " Checking" he answered. Two hours later we learn retroactively that at 14:00 hrs approximately a young man has been taken from the CP.

The village of Yassuf, Awarta: We are told that this year the olive picking has passed peacefully as it was done in coordination with the DCO  and was accompanied by people from human rights organizations.

16:40 Za'atara: Some trucks were checked at the CP and created a motorcade of waiting cars.

Find the differences:

Roads of approach for the welfare of the inhabitants:

A road of approach to Kfar Tapuah (the stronghold of Kahana and co.)

A road of approach to Habla

 Shomron crossing 10:30 -

Crossing is unimpeded. We put the flags on the car.

Tapuach 10:40 –

Two soldiers at the checkpoint. No cars. Farther on we saw a long line of vehicles coming from the north. We didn’t see vehicles being delayed.

Huwwara 11:00 – 

Many shops are closed. A police car parked at the checkpoint, a policeman standi next to it. Light traffic, no delays.

Awarta 11:20 –

We still see people picking olives along the roadsides. No checkpoint at the entrance. Residents tell us that settlers from Itamar tried to keep them from picking olives but the IDF intervened to prevent interference.

Beit Furiq 11:50 –

No sign of damage near the grand castle at the entrance to the locality, but residents told us about youths who tried a few days earlier to set fire to the garden behind the building and throw stones at the lights in the courtyard. The courtyard is locked and we can’t see it. The brother of the castle’s owner lives opposite; the youths set a taxi on fire there and damaged one of the rooms. No one was there.

Later addition 14:00 – We just heard on the 2 PM radio news about damage to a tomb that’s “holy” to Jews, in the Awarta cemetery. It wasn’t clear to us who did it, and why the residents didn’t tell us about it. Maki spoke on the phone the next day to the head of Awarta’s local council. It turns out that local youths did it, the slogans and pictures were erased and they’re trying to minimize the importance of the incident.

Translation:  Suzanne O.

Azzun Atma

6:30 a.m. 

The queue of labourers is not too long.  Reservists, who only got here yesterday, get those queuing through speedily.  A Military Policeman as well as two policewomen in the kiosks note down ID numbers.

Shomron Crossing

There is no civilian police presence at the exit from Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open

Za'tara/Tapuach roadblock

There are soldiers in the checkpoints but no hindrance to the traffic.

There are few cars on the road. 

A military vehicle observes the entrance to Beita.

Burin/Yitzhar roadblocks

There is no military activity.

Beit Furic

7:35 a.m. 

There are no soldiers at the roadblock and the traffic flows unhindered.

There is a military vehicle at the entrance to the settlement of Itamar and the soldiers seem to be taking a nap.

Awarta

The yellow barrier still blocks the traffic from crossing freely.

Huwwara roadblock

7:45 a.m. 

There are no soldiers, one soldier stands on the road up to the settlement of Bracha and another one is in the position opposite the hitch hikers' station.

Za'tara/Tapuach

8:00 a.m. 

A female soldier staffs the positions.  There is no interference with the traffic.

Shomron Crossing

At the entrance to Israel there is the usual superficial inspection.

Translator:  Charles K.

13:45  Habla gate:  It turns out that the gate is open between 13:00-14:00 primarily for schoolchildren, and between 17:00-18:00 for the laborers.  The owner of a cart leaves it and the horse outside the gate, undergoes a careful physical inspection in the building and then comes back and brings the loaded cart into the village.  There’s absolutely no logical reason for the physical inspection, but why forgo it?

Jama’in – We watched the festivities accompanying the release of five prisoners as part of the Shalit deal:  two returned to the village, three were sent to Gaza.

We drove through Awarta and Ein Abous, spoke with residents who complained that settlers from the area harass people harvesting olives near Ariel and Itamar.  Harvesting is only possible when leftists or the DCO is present.  We were also told settlers had erected a tent with equipment on privately-owned land, and Sa’id, from the DCO, intervened.  One of the residents said that he owns five dunums near Barkan, but he’s not allowed to build a house on the land.

4:15 – Za’tara junction.  About 30 cars waiting.

The military is present at the junction in larger numbers than recently.  The writing on the wall (“When will it end…?), apparently referring to the continuing occupation, has been partly erased.  But, on the other hand, posters announce the establishment of Oz Tzion, a new locality (an outpost with three structures erected on 18.10), and call on the public to prevent evacuation of the settlements (reading: “Hundreds of children in danger of expulsion.”  To hotels?)