13.45  Bezek Checkpoint 

A number of tank-transporters passed us at the Tayasir checkpoint. On the way to the checkpoint there were many military vehicles. On the roadside embankments green patches can already be seen, and the fields are ploughed and ready for the winter.  Here and there the road shoulders have been repaired.

14.05  Tayasir Checkpoint

A big bulldozer is parked at the side of the road, pointed eastward.  Three soldiers are in the position at the side of the road. One of them brought us a bottle of water, but nevertheless asked us politely to move on (he said that it’s a military area and is a dangerous place, there are terrorist attacks, the checkpoints are targeted, and so on).  When he understood that we had no intention to leave, he left us and afterwards returned and asked us what our “agenda” is.  A conversation ensued, in  which it became clear that ( – my addition), the soldier believed with all his heart in the necessity to keep all the checkpoints in operation, even though it was unpleasant for him to have to search the Palestinians’ cars or ask for identity cards.  The discussion, from his point of view, was political and he himself made claims about security.  He really wanted to understand (but hadn’t succeed) why an organization like ours didn’t also monitor the settlers’ hitchhiking stations.

During our conversation lots of military vehicles of all kinds passed us in both directions, including buses carrying soldiers.  Most of the traffic was in the direction of Area A.  Two commercial vans (without windows) with Israeli license plate left the checkpoint to the east.

We left at 15.10

15.20 The Alon highway (road 578).