Jaba (Lil)

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya checkpoint:
A witness told me about a man who walked into the vehicle checkpoint, soldiers shouted at him from afar to stop, the man didn't stop, he waved an axe above his head and kept walking. Fires were shot in the air. The man kept walking. They shot at him. They hit his leg, he fell.
"It was a mess". The witness said: "Tonnes of soldiers came. They closed the checkpoint for about half an hour. The poor man was done for. He must have wanted to die, now he will go to prison…".

The separation forced upon the Palestinians of the West Bank from their relatives in the Gaza Strip prevents them from sharing the good and the bad.
Five young men arrived at the Palestinian side of the checkpoint to pay their last respect to a relative from Gaza who hadn't survived the operation he went through in Nablus.
Each one entered separately the back side of the Palestinian ambulance where the body of the deceased was, they each took a couple of minutes to be alone with the dead man, and when they came out their faces were soaking wet from tears.
Only then, after the last one got out, the ambulance crosse

d the checkpoint and the body of the deceased was transferred into the Israeli ambulance that was waiting to taken to burial in his home town.

Jaba checkpoint:

The rain that was diluted by ice flacks and the temperatures that dropped near to zero degrees drove the soldiers away to their posts. For the first time in years there were no rifle barrels pointing at human beings and no one looking out for the settlers' safety.

Translation: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya:
At the deserted territory over which no authority takes responsibility, the place which is a 'no man's land", that according to the maps belongs to the city of Jerusalem that holds the duty to provide services such as the evacuation of garbage which is just one example, piles of trash were set fire to near the wall that surrounds the checkpoint, for this is the only option that the residents of the  refugee camp have for getting rid of this sanitary hazard that accumulates into mountains of garbage.
The claim made by the workers of the municipality that they avoid the place for fear of violence and attacks, are unconvincing in light of the raids performed by the inspectors on the poverty stricken paddlers, hunting down children as well as men, events which occur every day in that very same place.

On the wall, in black and blue was a greeting from Berlin:
"Freedom, Peace & Justice for Palestine! Tabea from Berlin". And between the hundreds of vehicles stuck in endless traffic jam, that tail of which could not be seen, the child Muhamad was selling lupines packed in nylon bags tied in a rubber band.

Jaba checkpoint:
Lately (so say the cab drivers), soldiers have been reinforcing the policemen who prevent those coming out of Ramallah/Qalandiya from driving freely on road 60 on their way to Hizmee checkpoint. Apparently, there is need for combined forces for this assignment which is in service of the settlers.

Four Palestinian detainees stood by the checkpoint, watching the dog and its trainer walk towards their car, inside and around which the dog received its training. Once the pair from the Oketz unit were finished and the owner of the Palestinian car that "hosted" the dog (which according to Islam defiles everything it comes in contact with), did as Palestinians do after decades of years under occupation, each time they are released without harm, and shouted loudly towards the soldier that returned his keys to him: "Thank you so much!".

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya Checkpoint:

Because of the rain the coffee stand observing the vehicle checkpoint was closed.
Because of the rain the "ice-cream shop" next door didn't open.
"Because of the rain" said the cab drivers, "there aren't many people today at the checkpoint". Others corrected them: "it's because of the Christian holiday".
But Fadi was deterred neither by the Christian holiday nor by the rain and the lack of clientele. He hid his head inside the coat and pushed a cart full of bananas toward the checkpoint entrance. Perhaps there he might find some customers, perhaps he will manage to earn a few Shekels for his family in Jenin.
Taking the day off or just standing idly isn't an option of someone who has to provide for his wife and children.  

Just as military decorations from ancient wars hang for display on veterans' chests, so do the Palestinians boast in the time they spent in the Israeli prison, which to them is like honorary badges.
He who overcomes this test of masculinity is to ascend and is granted social respect as well as self-pride.
It has been a while since I've last seen A, who greeted me with a big smile, his eyes and his face were smiling as he told me: "I got back three days ago. I was in for less than a year". A looked like a child displaying his matriculation certificate as he took out a bundle of official papers. In them I read that A was accused and convicted of:  "arms trade".
Three day earlier A returned home to his young wife and daughter, who when he had last seen her was six months old: "she is now one and a half", he said. It has been a year since A had last seen his daughter and it has been a year since the baby had last seen her father.

In the background the inspections in the checkpoint were performed, as usual, slowly. With each group of people entering the inspection zone, the shout of a soldier trying to amuse himself and his friends was heard all around the checkpoint: "Merry Christmas!!!" And on the lane heading into Palestine a woman was walking arm in arm with a blind girl, helping her learn how to cope by herself with the turnstile bars- each time they arrived near it, she let go of her arm and placed her hand on the girls back, quietly and patiently examining her ability to operate the metal blockage.

The taxi drivers talk with anger and insult of what takes place each morning at Jaba checkpoint. They say that as early as five or five thirty policemen block the road to all those heading from Ramallah towards road 60, they say that there is no one among them that had not received at least one ticket, some of them for traffic offences they committed while others on false accusations, since the beginning of the "operation for the diminishing of traffic jams at the entrance to Jerusalem" which is directed towards Palestinians alone in effort to ease the traffic for the settlers.
Early in the morning, the drivers said, a television crew from Ramallah arrived and documented what was going on.

Jaba Checkpoint:

The morning blockage is becoming permanent. The red plastic blockages called New Jersey, were placed by the side of the road leading from Qalandiya, on the opposite side of the checkpoint.

A short conversation, too short in my opinions, between myself and the checkpoint commander:

The commander: "you're not allowed to stand here, it an A territory".
Me: "No it's not an A territory".
The commander: "All right, then right here is the entrance to A territory".
Me: "I've got a map in my car, let's take a look and see where A territory begins".
The commander: "I haven't got time to talk to you. I have to get back to my post".

Translation: Ruth Fleishman

The victim is a Palestinian. His time and pain can't be assessed nor are they of any value.  

Qalandiya
The lad had been hassled for an hour and a half, suffering from excruciating pain, laying on a stretcher in the ambulance that took him from Nablus to Mukased hospital in East Jerusalem, where a surgery was scheduled for him. He was diagnosed with a fracture to the pelvis and the pain ran from there up to his spine.
Despite the fact that the Red Crescent had prepared all the necessary permits in advance, the soldiers at the checkpoint wouldn't allow the ambulance driver to cross to the other side, and kept ordering him over and over again, to head back.    
After numerous calls to all the hot lines, it turned out that: oops… coordination had been made, there really was no reason for the hold up and the torture. But after all, the victim is a Palestinian. His time and pain can't be assessed nor are they of any value. No one took responsibility and no one apologized, they just thoroughly inspected the documentations, scavenged through his and his mother's personal belongings in public and wrote down the license plate number of the ambulance and information of the driver from Jerusalem, who claimed that writing down the driver information is a procedure performed only in Qalandiya checkpoint.

Jaba
To make sure that the soldiers won't be able to force us to retrieve our steps, we parked our vehicle before arriving at the checkpoint- on the road from Qalandiya, where they believe we aren't allow to be.
It was the flash of the camera and not our presence, that alarmed the checkpoint commander, S, who arrived escorted by two of his soldiers and ordered: "no pictures!", he also had a reason: "no one can find out how the checkpoint works, that there are two soldiers in the front and two in the back". He also had something to say about our being there: "you are risking your lives!", once we removed all responsibility for our safety from him, he continued to say: "this is my checkpoint, I'm the commander here and I decide who is going to stay here and who isn't and you are putting the soldiers at risk".
When referring to the role of the checkpoint he explained that it's too dangerous for Jews to arrive at Qalandiya and the solider beside him added: "they would have stoned you had you dared to drive up to Qalandiya… from here on end it's A territories, Jews aren't allowed there". We suggested that they take a look at some maps from time to time, but it wasn't so easy to persuade them with the facts, because: "That’s what our highest commanders told us and they know the law!"
When we asked how the checkpoint functions in during the morning hours, S told us that each day, early in the morning, the police detains all vehicles arriving from Ramallah/ Qalandiya and: "inspect them one by one. They are probably looking for someone who is supposed to arrive from Ramallah". We asked about the length of the lines that are creating due to this procedure and he replied: "I prefer traffic jams to the possibility that a terrorist might cross over".  
In attempt to end our conversation S complained: "You aren't listening to me!...", actually we were listening. But we don't believe that to listen means to obey.

16:00:  A cold and rainy afternoon.  The line of cars in the southern square was very long but moved ahead quite briskly.  There was almost no one in the shed at the entrance to the CP aside from the usual compliment of peddlers with their stands.  Inside the CP there were about 15 people on line in each of the two active passageways.  A man emerging from the DCO offices reported that only 4 people were waiting inside for their permits.  The bus "terminal" at the western end of the CP looked very busy, with a line of over 20 waiting to enter the examination area.  Additional buses were waiting at the terminal exit as well as in the eastern parking lot.  There were no incidents to report.  We left Qalandiya at 5 PM and returned to Jerusalem via Jaba and Hizmeh CPs.  Traffic was flowing in both.

Translator:  Charles K.

Meitar crossing

By 6:45 the Palestinian side was already empty of workers; they’re waiting on the Israeli side for their employers and are on their way to work.

Route 60 is quiet and deserted.

We reached the Kvasim junction without delay, but not before we tried to understand what had happened at Beit Haggai and beyond.

We slowed down, assuming, and hoping, that wherever the soldiers are they’re checking cars more carefully, and we wanted them to become familiar with ours [if they hadn’t noted it earlier], so there wouldn’t be any mistakes…

We didn’t see an army presence there today either.  No soldiers came down from pillboxes anywhere along the way.

Hebron

It’s quiet, many children on their way to school.

Many representatives of peace groups and TIPH at every checkpoint.

They’re all monitoring the children’s crossings.

The soldiers don’t detain anyone; all pass through the scanner without anyone interfering.

A group of teachers who live near the Cordova school are on their way there.  They don’t have to go through the checkpoint.  The others continue to make a long detour to avoid going through the scanner.  Neither side compromised its principles.

CPT activists remind us that this Saturday a special event will be held because of the “Hayyei Sara” torah portion.  Another “Jewish exception” day on which everyone’s invited to come pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs to commemorate the death and burial of Sarah the matriarch.  On that day, the Hebron settlers invite [even more enthusiastically than usual] everyone to demonstrate their right to possess the entire land, and Hebron in particular.  The peace groups express their fear that the settlers will be more aggressive to the Palestinians that day.  We hope not, but ask them to call us if necessary.

Since nothing out of the ordinary was going on, and the occupation routine was demoralizing as ever, we could leave Hebron early.  We decide to continue on Route 60 to Beit Umar.  The road was lovely, pastoral.  The vineyards were glorious in their autumn colors.  What a misleading landscape.

The pillboxes rise all along the way; the army’s presence has also increased, starting from Karmei Tzur.  The observation balloon floats above Beit Umar.

We turn left at the Gush Etzion junction, toward the Jaba checkpoint.  It’s manned by the military police.  We wonder how long they’ll be there.  For some reason, the soldiers are much more flexible, less strict.  They “make do” with asking where we’re coming from, a quick, superficial inspection of our ID cards, and “cause no trouble.”  The crossing was “pleasant.”  From there we drove through the Elah Valley to Highway 6, and then home.

What a “lovely trip” we had.

Translation: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya checkpoint:
Seven year old Haled, layered with winter clothes, was trying to pitch a sale, "you can play with the ball at the beach", explained Fadi.  
-    Haled's family transferred from Hebron to the town of Ar-Ram, what could he possibly know about the beach?
-    Fadi's parents were exiled from Beit She'an in 1948, his home is in Jenin but he has to rent an apartment in Qalandiya refugee camp so as to provide for his family by selling fruit from his mobile cart, what could he possibly know about the beach?
-    What could the thousands of Palestinians that pass them by possibly know about the beach?

"Bas Khadra"(= green only) said the soldier sitting in the bullet proofed post to a young Palestinian woman who handed her ID to him.
The women understood, she left the inspection area, headed towards a different lane and stood at the end of a crowded line.
In the language of the checkpoint, which is understood by the occupiers and those who are occupied, the meaning of the order is: "from this moment on the regulations have changed, only residents of Palestine are inspected here, and you, who have the ID of a resident of Jerusalem, must go to another inspection post".

Jaba checkpoint:
An escalation in the service provided to settlers by the checkpoints
So far, ever since checkpoint came into existence, the explanation given as to the existence of the checkpoint was the need to prevent Israelis, Jewish ones in this case, from reaching Qalandiya which is considered to be a place where their lives might be endangered.  For that reason the soldiers at the checkpoint stop the vehicles heading in that direction and require as to the national identity of the driver.
During the past weeks there has been an increase in the amount of complaints made by cab drivers, regarding the imposition of this checkpoint on Palestinians driving in the opposite direction which leads to road 60.
The checkpoint commander with whom we conversed confirmed the facts and told us that every morning between 6:00 and 7:30 the police block the lanes leading from Qalandiya and thoroughly inspect the state of the vehicles and the drivers' licenses. As a result long lines of Palestinian vehicles that stretch on are formed and the traffic heading to road 60 is but a drizzle and the amount of (Palestinian) vehicles on road 60 decreases substantially during rush hours and even the pressure on Hizme checkpoint isn't as it once was.
 The main beneficiaries of this are the settlers driving to Jerusalem in the morning as well as the state's treasury which is enriched by the plentiful amount of tickets given- according to the testimony of the Palestinian cab drivers and the checkpoint commander.

Those who suffer the most from this are of course the Palestinians hurrying to their jobs, but who takes them under consideration?

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya checkpoint (photo: Behing the wall) :

Palestinian friends that witnessed the women's demonstration on the previous day said that during the time it was taking place, the checkpoint had been closed from both sides for two hours. They testified that cement bricks were brought ten days before hand, they were used to block the roads and had been carried from the side of the roads to their center a day in advance and the way leading to and from Ramallah was blocked up until Sunday. 

Only two lanes were active at the pedestrian checkpoint. Suddenly, as though they had been given a green signal, the two had stopped operating and no one was allowed in the inspection area. The lines grew wider and longer. Not only that no explanation was given, but all the soldiers had disappeared and the post at the end of our lane (no. 2) remained empty. After a nerve wracking twenty minutes, and not before we called the operation room receptionist to asked whether the checkpoint was closed for passage, the checkpoint was activated again.   

At the waiting shed at the entrance to the checkpoint we met to desperate women from Gaza: the young one was a woman who went through a medical procedure in her eyes at the hospital in Ramallah and the other was her escort (probably her mother). Their permits had expired on Saturday. The DCO in Gaza that had been handling their case over the phone allowed them to pass a day later. When they gave the inspecting soldier their original "Tasrih", he confiscated the document and banished them from the site. Had the inspector behind the shielded window checked these women's information on the computer (as they had asked him) he would have known that a new permit was waiting for them at the DCO. When we asked the soldiers agreed to check their ID numbers, but by then it was too late, the DCO offices had already closed and no one was to be found there.

The women were forced to return to Ramallah, rent a hotel room and return to the checkpoint on the next day.

Jaba checkpoint:

Apart for a group of soldiers who had their rifles pointing at vehicles, a dog trainer and a dog with a muzzle on his mouth were also at the site. The checkpoint commander crossed the road towards us and in an instance started giving us his long speech, it was full of arguments against our presence and it start with: "you are endangering yourselves…", and continued with: "your presence is distracting my soldiers…", following this sentence came: "I don't like seeing you endangering soldiers….", and he even tried this one: "nothing is going on over here, it's a real bore!..."

We answered that we were going to stay and document, that we weren't concerned for our safety, that we had no intentions of talking to the soldiers and that we were not endangering them, and that we would overcome the boredom that he promised us. 

He got back to the post and after several minutes the soldiers stopped a car, the driver got out of it, the muzzle was taken off the dog who sniffed the car from all sides, his trainer opened the doors and being so familiar with the job, he got inside, sat on the driver's seat and then wondered off to the rest of the seats, once he finished his task in a manner that satisfied his lady, he received signs of affection from her. Only then was the vehicle given back to its owner who was permitted to head on.

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

Qalandiya:
The special and festive addition of "El-Quds" newspaper, which publicized all the names of those who had successfully completed their Bagrut tests, had managed to make a change in the usual dreary and despairing atmosphere haunting the place. On the first page, the names of those who had excelled were highlighted, and on the inner sections were columns on top of columns of names, printed on many pages. People stopped, bought a paper, traced the columns with their fingers and once finding the names they had been looking for, a smile of content appeared on their faces. The sounds of blasting fireworks blew in with the wind from Ramallah and other towns that are close by, telling us of celebrations at schools. The dusty and murky air mixed with a small portion of hope for the next generation.  

El Jib checkpoint:
Masses of men, women and children passed through the checkpoint, heading back home after a day of work. Only one man was heading on the opposite direction: he approached the window which was set higher than him, and while placing his ID on the thick and dark glass, he shouted to the solider behind it: "It's me, it's me the Bedouin…"a side door opened, the man vanished in the room and later was seen on the other side, on the road leading south to the settlements "New Givon" and "Giv'at Ze'ev".
All El-Jib residents, men and women, are an ordinal number printed in a binder that is stored at the checkpoint, only with their names and numbers (and of course a permit indicating they are Kosher) are they permitted to pass the checkpoint each morning to the lots that had been stolen from them, where the build houses for the new lords of their land and serve them.
Three forces manned the checkpoint: soldiers from the passage unit, civilian security guards and BP officers.

Unis, the owner of an out of order transit that had been converted into a diner, told us that in the mornings the line of people lingers up to about a hundred meters from the front of the checkpoint and the inspecting soldiers work very slowly, checking everyone, they have time, they are not in a hurry.
Unis also said that: "There are people work here, just after the fence, they live in the area but they are not on the list so they are not permitted to pass, they are told to drive to Qalandiya checkpoint…".

Jaba checkpoint:
In front the checkpoint a civil car that was driven by a soldier was parked. A soldier from the Oketz unit came out of it, she had the strap of her rifle across her chest and the leash of the dog, who had a muzzle on his face, in her hand. The two crossed the road and approached the soldiers' post. We stood in front of them and waited. The soldiers noticed us and called someone (they were probably asking for instructions).
This time, unlike their past encounters with us, they didn't protest or try to stop us or prevent us from taking photos,  they just stood in front of us, waiting and waiting and then waiting some more. It was as though they were mirroring us from the other side. The usual routines of detecting Jews so as to prevent them from heading on, and of detaining one or two vehicles, caused traffic to slow and a line of cars had formed and reached Adam square.