Translator:  Charles K.

  Tarqumiyya

Following the previous report about Tarqumiyya, we spoke to Israeli drivers waiting here for passengers who told us that the situation is terrible, it’s the worst of all the crossings (Meitar and others…).  Both the physical conditions and the way people are treated – humiliations, harsh policies, etc.

We spoke with Zion, the crossing director – he wanted to hear all the complaints – also about how we were treated the previous time we were here, and he has answers and explanations for everything, and a promise that a contractor has already begun constructing what’s missing.

Hebron

A few children running around the streets, otherwise quiet.

Cave of the Patriarchs: Children playing on the grass (a summer camp?)

Michael and Yehuda, from Breaking the Silence, are going around with representatives of the American Consulate. 

At the Border Police booth, soldiers have detained four people. The soldier says that there are more attempts to carry out attacks because of Ramadan. It turns out that he’s the soldier who was the target of an attempted stabbing two days ago near the casbah. He’s fine.

The detainees waited about 25 minutes; their complaints didn’t help because the Shin Bet – according to the soldier – can detain them for as long as necessary…and he hasn’t yet been authorized to release them.

All along our route things seemed pretty quiet. The soldiers at Tel Rumeida were glad of the opportunity to spend a little time with us, understand who and what we are. They’re “keeping track” of a Jewish girl who came through here, checking to see whether she reached her destination, “because someone was raped here [some] months ago.” (Has any of us heard about this??)

On our way back we were again stopped at the Tarqumiyya crossing, insistent on checking what we had in the vehicle, including removing a large table we’d bought at Azzam’s metal shop which requires two people to remove from the car and put through the scanner (it barely fit), and also, of course, the bags of figs and grapes were examined, all this despite the fact that Zion was around and saw us, and it didn’t matter that we’d spoken to him that morning…

I wonder why they’ve become so much stricter than in the past at this crossing, and apparently also at other crossings (can anyone find out?)