'Azzun 'Atma

06:40-07:05 Azun Atma:

Many workmen were grouped around bonfires. A cloudy day but not raining. Before we had even reached the gates they reported to us that this was a good day and the soldiers were working on a "piece-work" basis. There were no workmen waiting on line and as soon as the taxis bringing in the workers approached, the passengers were allowed through efficiently. It may well be that the forecast of rain kept some people at home.

07:15 Habla:

The gate was open and the first team of five workers was on its way out. Two horse-drawn carts passed through smoothly, same with two private vehicles. The schools are still on vacation.

07:30  Four groups of five workmen each  passed through, but some 20-30 people are still waiting on line

07:45 Eliyahu  Crossing:

In the pedestrian lane, before the turnstile, there were some ten people waiting. Three cars were being checked.

07:50-08:00: We noted that it took two cars about 8 minutes each to get through. There now are many cars waiting to be checked and we noticed that a dog was being led in their direction.

Across from the entrance to Azun there were two stationed military vehicles with lights blinking.

 08:15:  Agricultural gate Falamiya

We encountered the owner of the sheep herd, awaiting someone who was supposed to bring him the yield of the morning milking. No other people were waiting though some cars showed up near the passage.

08:35: Kufr Jammal

We had arranged to meet some acquaintances - farmers we knew, to see how matters were, in preparation for a meeting set with the commander of the Civilian Administration: They confirmed that there was no change at all. Despite their requests to the Palestinian DCO and to the Civil Administration, permits that had been confiscated from the farmers as a punishment had not been returned and the agricultural gates to the olive groves had not been opened. Moreover, the permits they have are to the Sal'it gate, which is opened twice daily and not to the Falamiye gate, which is open throughout the day.

We returned through a beautiful road overlooking the villages of Zibad, Abush, Hajja, reaching Funduk – a landscape of blooming almond trees and anemones. At the foothills of the Gilad we saw signs: Beware of mines.

09:55 Opposite the entrance to Azzun we noticed military vehicles.

We passed easily through Eliyahu Crossing.

Nablus and Tulkarm checkpoints,

A bit rainy and few go out to work, no military presence on the main roads.  Schoolchildren are on mid-year vacation.

06.30  60 to 70 people in line. There are 3 checking positions.  One is outside the building and has no computer, but people are registered and their belongings checked.

06.40 It starts  to rain and there are still over 40 people in line.  Passage is quick and the line shortens. At 06.50 workers who had crossed begin to return because of the rain – their work being outdoors.  They were happy about the rain in spite of losing a day’s work.  As more and more workers return this slows down the checking as these returnees, too, have to be registered. But at least the latter can shelter under the roofing.

One man pointed out that this is a good day – and we think so, too, in comparison with other days.

We noted that the man no.50 in line, passed through in 14 minutes.

06.55 About 20 people are still in line, all the time with a dribble of new people. A few wait next to the container and when the line is relatively short they join – apparently they are not in a hurry. Without a doubt, because of the rain, there are fewer people than usual.

The boy coffee-seller arrives.  He comes every day before school trying to sell his wares. We don’t want coffee but he refuses just to take money.  Today he asked for an umbrella.  We will try to bring him one next time, as well as a few exercise books.

07.20 Tulkarm. There are very few in line, no doubt because of the rain. We waited for the school busses – but were then told that the children are on a two-week vacation.

07.50 about 10 waiting in line and 4 cars in the car check Eliyahu Cross.

07.55 A military vehicle opposite the entrance is watching.

08.10 Jit Junction  A police car. The policeman is apparently checking a car owner’s documents, helped by a soldier.t

08.20 Deir Sharaf The owner of a bakery reports that there is no news, all is quiet and life is good.  It is interesting that, somewhat like Tel Aviv, when  far from Bil’in or Silwan, his life is good, there is an income and things are relatively quiet – ‘it should just remain so,’ he says.

'Anabta open, we did not see soldiers.08:45   

Translator: Hanna K

Following the rain and the cold, the almond trees are already blooming and they do not hide the election posters of Feiglin.

06:30 Azzun Atma: The overpopulated queue reaches "only" the edge of the fenced-in zone. The workmen complain that they had to wait for a long time in the queue. Some of them left the Hebronarea at dawn and came to work in the juncture area. Others told us that they were detained for a long time at the entrance to the village, and only the intervention of a high-rank officer who arrived on the spot urged the soldiers on. Did anybody get an explanation why it is necessary to check with such meticulousness at the entrance to the village? How does this protect Israel's security?

06:40 A lively traffic of pedestrians on the road leading to the agricultural gate.

06:42 Shomron crossing:There is no police at the exit from Israel.

06:55 Za'tara/Tapuah: there are no soldiers at the checking posts

Yitzhar/Burin CPs:  There is no military activity.

07:30 Beit Furik: At the entrance to the village there is no flying CP.  At the "permanent" Beit Furik CP too there is no military activity.

Awarta: The yellow arm still prevents the passage.

07:40 at the Huwwara CPwe didn't see any soldiers. We tried to inquire whether there were soldiers on the tower - we didn't hear a generator and only the emergency lighting is on. The soldier standing on the road to Beraha settlement said that he assumed that there were soldiers there. We didn't see any soldier at the post opposite the hitch hikers' station.

Burin/Yitzhar: A military vehicles at the bay coming down from Yitzhar causes a delay in the traffic. It is a kind of flying CP.

08:00Za'tara /Tapuah: There are no soldiers at the post.

At the Shomron crossing  the checking is as usual superficial.

Unfortunately, we can't report about any improvement at the 'Azzun 'Atma checkpoint.

06:20    We park opposite the checkpoint and see a large number of small bonfires, around which the workers who have already passed through are warming themselves and are now waiting for transport to their workplaces in the surrounding settlements.  It is hard to estimate exactly how many people are crowded and packed into the line, at least 50, maybe more.  They are pushed in the direction of the turnstyle which sometimes halts because of the pressure on it.  The soldiers allow about 8 people to go through every time.  In the inspection booth, there are two female military police checking documents, but only one computer is working;  so most of the registration is done by hand, which naturally causes delay.  After the inspection of the documents, the subject must return by way of the gate and bring his belongings for inspection for another policewoman, working at the table outside;  she checks the parcels, boxes and bags very quickly.

06:40   The line is not any shorter, because more people keep arriving.  It is very cold.  One man tells us that someone was injured yesterday on the road, and another man had a heart attack and was taken away by ambulance.

 The line is very dense and the pressure increases towards 07:00;  about 70 people in line.  It is very hard to estimate how many people there are, but some people say that they have been waiting since 03:30 and are only now passing through.  Some of the workers standing near us are angry that we can't help more.  Some of them request that they open another inspection table, which would shorten the line.

 An old friend of Dalah, from the village of Wadi a Rasha, near Alfei Menashe, send greetings to her.  He says that this year they did not allow them to harvest their olives, so he must look for another way to support his family

. 07:15People are still arriving and it doesn't seem as though the pressure is letting up at all.  Very few womקn.  They come straight to the gate and the soldiers let them in without standing in line.  Teachers arrive and they also go through into the village without inspection of documents or bags.  Terribly cold, bone-chilling.  In the afternoon, when they return from work, they have to go through this again.  I feel guilty about leaving this discouraging place and going home but, except for just being there, I don't know anything I can do.

 07:45We leave .

 We entered Kafr ad Dik at 11:30; Hassan, who’s in charge of the water, told us some of the village’s history and about himself.

Together we planned the tour we’ll take the day after tomorrow with representatives of “Mekorot.”

One of the things we want to show the people from Mekorot is the sewage from Ariel that’s released into a wadi that brings it to the olive groves of Kafr ad Dik and Brukin, as well as seeping into the groundwater.  It turns out that a tour like this, which involves entering the town of Salfit, requires complicated coordination that has to be done a few days in advance, as well as joint permits from the Israeli and the Palestinian Shabak.

Hassan took care of all that for us.  While we’re talking – Anat calls (her connections made the tour possible) and informs us that the tour has been postponed because the head of Mekorot had family matters to take care of.  (This is the fourth postponement).

We decided not to postpone our visit but to change the purpose of the tour:  to begin dealing with the issue of the water sources being poisoned by the sewage from Ariel flowing to Brukin and Kafr ad Dik.

When we finished our lengthy, informative conversation with Hassan we left the village toward the settlement of Alei Zahav to see how it’s been expanded, and to see the new settlement being built, “Leshem,” also on ad Dik’s lands:

Construction is proceeding apace, tractors working, some buildings already standing, and a partially paved road leads to the location.  As soon as we stopped on the road to photograph – a car with a revolving rooftop light appeared…and didn’t move until we drove on, and then it followed us.  When we stopped to go back – it also stopped, and the driver asked whether we needed help…We said no.  The car drove on, into the village of Deir Ballut (which Israelis are forbidden to enter) and we returned toward Highway 5.

We continued until the turn to the Elkana seam zone.  We drove to the northern end of the Elkana settlement, next to Hani’s besieged home.  We spoke with him, listened to his complaints – and, unfortunately, were not able to help solve the problems. 

From there we drove to find the location where we had in the past seen sewage from Elkana flowing to the lands of As Sawiya village.  We found it, but as far as we were able to determine the sewage is no longer flowing freely there as it had in the past.  The sewage treatment plant seems to have been repaired, and there was no longer any stench.  The plant may, in fact, be operating.  We decided to return when it’s not raining, to see whether the problem had really been solved.

We discovered an additional new area next to the plant where Elkana was expanding, called “Magen Dan.”  Only trailers are there for now, but there’s already a colorful playground sticking up in all its splendor, for the greater glory of the settler state.

At 16:15, on our way home, we reached the 'Azzun 'Atma checkpoint:  the line is very long and barely moving, like in the bad old days.

Addendum:

At the end of the day, at 22:00, Dalya and I decided to cancel the tour we had worked so hard on.  We realized that the representatives of Mekorot had no intention of holding it:

After half a year of discussing this tour, and two days before it was scheduled to take place, the heads of Mekorot remembered to inform us that they’re not allowed to enter Palestinian villages other than in a bullet-proof vehicle, and armed, or accompanied by a security person.  When we told them that was unacceptable, that we go to the villages as human beings coming to meet villagers, not as lords or armed soldiers, they replied that they can’t violate the orders of their security people.

Again we got proof that the institutional arrangements prevent meetings between Israelis and Palestinians, other than those in which the Israeli “lords” receive in their magnificent offices submissive, servile Palestinian “notables.”  A normal meeting of equals is forbidden.  And again we realized how much the system operates to frighten Israelis so they won’t meet with Palestinians and get to know them:  Kinneret – a Mekorot engineer – who[went out of his way to]really helped בעברית מופיע "להט" – האם זו טעות? increase the village’s water allocation – asked me (innocently), how can you be sure they won’t kill me?

I asked:  Why should they kill you?

The security person told her that Kafr ad Dik is full of terrorists.

What should I have done:  Laugh, cry or scream?

So we cancelled the tour.

A loss to all.

, 

13:20

Habla agricultural gate

The gate is open; few people cross in each direction, a man leads a horse, the children’s bus.  Today is rainy.

Three soldiers get on the bus to inspect.  Kitted out and armored from head to toe.  Only two children and the driver on the bus today.  That’s the operational mission of IDF soldiers. 

We sit a bit with Omar to talk about the plant nursery.  This evening they’re holding a private party here.  Omar invited the head of the Nablus municipal council and the mayor of Qalqilya, who are friends of his, to a fish dinner.

14:30

  The municipal council of seven villages at the Zibad junction.  The head of the council was no longer there when we arrived; we wanted to meet with him and find out about the permit situation for the olive harvest this year.

The roads have been repaired and upgraded; they’re unrecognizable.  Prominent signs point the way to the villages, announcing their presence despite the Occupation’s efforts to conceal them.

We saw new poultry barns along the way, a new source of income, with signs from US-AID.  The almond trees are blossoming!  One month before Tu B’Shvat!

We drove via Funduq to Highway 55 on our way to Azzun Atma.

15:30 -16:00

  We observed the Azzun Atma checkpoint.  There were no lines today at this time.  Workers at the adjacent laundry told us that the difficulties and congestion begin after 16:00, and continue to 17:30.

The end.

We drove in Hanna's car.

13:45

Habla – the gate was open. The children's bus arrives and undergoes a thorough inspection by two soldiers.

At 14:02, even before they could shut the two gates, a Palestinian vehicle arrives but it's too late, two minutes have gone by, and he is forced to return and to wait for the evening.

We noticed that cameras had been installed and that the signpost which indicates the opening hours had been removed and in its stead there is a red signpost "military zone, whoever passes or damages the fence endangers himself". 

14:30

Huwwara – the CP was empty.

We entered the vegetable shop at Huwwara and they told us that today, from 09:00 a.m. the soldiers have closed the main street at Huwwara, made vehicles return and ordered them to drive through an alternative road. The street was opened for traffic at 15:30 only. They told us that Huwwara CP was also closed and people were made to go back. They were forced to drive through Awwarta and Beit Furiq.

16:10 – Azoun Atma –

A long queue winds along, the workmen complain that what hurts them is that they are treated like animals. One of them, an elderly man even said "they don't know that the wall of Berlin has fallen, by what right they close us in walls, a day will come…"

From the moment we arrive the checking became quicker and they began passing three workmen together. They complain that the big problem is in the early morning hours.

We were surprised to see workmen passing by a side road and when we asked they said that they are called zero zero. These are workmen who work on 24 hour shifts and they have special authorizations.

Nablus checkpoints)

06:30  'Azzun 'Atma – a very long line of about 70-80 people, maybe even more.  Many others have already crossed and wait at the checkpoint for their rides.  Two inspection booths, and two MP’s outside of the inspection booths inspect both people and their belongings.  But it still takes as long to cross as it did other times we observed – that is, it took a particular person we observed more than an hour to get through.  It’s not raining now, but everything is wet.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to wait an hour or more in the rain to cross.  There’s an awning off to the side, but that doesn’t solve the problem of the line, because there’s no way to stand under the awning and still keep your place on line.  It’s absolutely terrible.  A person is inspected, the solder asks him to remove his jacket, it’s cold.  He’s annoyed, and does so objecting loudly.  And then he turns to us – And what are you doing about it?  You’re no help.  And he’s right – what can we do other than document what’s happening.  How sad.

07:00  The line is becoming a little shorter.  Children crossing to school from the Israeli side have their belongings checked – how come?  Will they bring explosives to the West Bank? 

Some people are sent to sit off to the side while their documents are inspected further.  One said that he always goes through, but since yesterday there’s a red line next to his name so he has to wait longer, and then go through.  What changed since the day before yesterday, that now his name comes up?  Twenty minutes later he went through.

We met a group of laborers who arrive each morning from Bethlehem – what a nightmare, but at least there’s work, so they make the effort.

We took our guests to see Hani’s house – it’s terrible what they did just to benefit a few settlers.

08:10  Bruqin – We saw the mosque whose entrance had been set on fire, as well as the tractor whose driver’s cab was burned completely. The locals shake their heads – why can’t people live together in peace – why, indeed?

08:40  Soldier is at the entrance to Salfit, at the turn to Ariel.  They’re not allowed to let anyone through except Palestinian buses and taxis – we can’t enter.

08:50 We continue to Tapuah/Za’tara.  I’m surprised there are no soldiers inspecting, just someone in the pillbox.

09:10  Huwwara – No soldiers, other than those in the pillbox, who say we’re forbidden to photograph.  But that’s not true, so we continue to take pictures.

09:30  Beit Furik – Deserted, not a living soul, and very few cars going through.

We stopped for falafel in Huwwara – our poor companions were starving.  They’re not used to leaving home at 05:30.

Now the surprise of the day – we reach Tapuach, two soldiers are inspecting cars at the crossing and others erect a concertina barrier on the sidewalk separating the road from the parking lot.  We entered the parking lot to watch.  About ten minutes later the soldiers inspecting cars left the road and returned to the parking lot.  The inspection was very quick – one or two questions, and the car drives away.  The soldiers then came over to talk to us; after we introduced ourselves we asked what they were doing.  You won’t believe it – tonight people will be going to Joseph’s Tomb so they’re fencing off the parking lot.  They promised that tomorrow the barrier will be removed.  And the inspection?  Oh, that was just a flying checkpoint that’s over. 

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.

.

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.