Bethlehem and Surroundings: Efrat, Tekoa, Nuaman Wednesday 17/1/2007Observers: Neta, A, Tamar, A (Reporting) Our goal was to find a way to enter the checkpoint from the Palestinian side, that is, from the south. We took the road to the Tekoah and Nokdim settlements and to Herodiyon, – Road 60 from the east, south of Efrat. A few tens of meters after the south gate of Efrat, are the remnants of Efrat checkpoint. It is not manned for some time and it looks derelict. About 4-5 kilometers later, we arrive at the intersection near Tekoah, with a turning to Halhul, and north to Tekoah and Nokdim. On the eastern side of the intersection is a military jeep and a soldier nearby. We turn north and continue on the main road, passing Tekoah and the turning to Nokdim and the Herodiyon. Part of the road looks new, an alternative route to the road that goes through the villages. The road no longer goes through Zaatra, as it appears in the maps, and therefore this part of the road is called “Zaatra overpass”. There are no signs, until we suddenly arrive at the turning east to Beit Sahur, while northward, there is a sign to Jerusalem, and in the distance we can see the “pillbox” of the Nueman Checkpoint, with the Israeli flag flying over it. There is no sign pointing to Nueman, only a sign to El Chas, and we arrive at a large piazza, a few hundred meters from the checkpoint. We understand that this road leads mainly to Road 398 – the signs point south to Hebron and Beer-Sheba and north – to Jerusalem. The signs precedes the reality. A part of the road between Nueman and Har-Homa has not been paved, and the road to Jerusalem ends in front of the security fence. A Border Patrol police officer and a security person (wearing a part of his uniform) come toward us: “What? Are you coming from the Territories”? but they do not seem bothered by our presence. The police officer says he doesn’t know about a road that is supposed to be opened to Jerusalem, but only that there is a half-finished terminal near the village Nueman. The entrance to Nueman is closed; it is opened only when one of the residents wants to pass. When we arrive one of them crossed it with his car, without any interference. The latest new element: there is a carousel for pedestrians, whose number reaches about one hundred throughout the day. A year ago we came here in the early morning shift. Then there was still a large opening in the fence, and only a jeep manned this opening from time to time. A small example regarding the institutionalization of the checkpoints: If there was only the old road and not the settlers new road, and no checkpoint, then we could have driven straight to Nueman and through the village, to Jerusalem. Soon we will be able to get to Jerusalem via the new road that overpasses Nueman. More hills are being straightened and more grazing lands are being taken away from the Palestinians, and more olive trees are being uprooted. Meanwhile, we are returning via the way we came. It is still not clear if the Palestinians will be able to use this road when it is opened. At this point they are the only users, since the settlers have nowhere to go via this road. At the Tekoah intersection, the jeep is still there, and near it, stand two soldiers with rifles drawn.