Kafr Malik:
This small village is to the east of Turmus Aya. The closest settlement, Kochav Hashachar, is 7 km. to the west. The settlement has taken some land belonging to families in the village. The villagers get their water from a nearby spring. Their electricity comes from a private company in East Jerusalem. Their two schools go from elementary to high school; one school is for boys and the other for girls. The men work in their olive groves, and in nearby stone quarries. Some people from the village work for the Palestinian Authority, and some have gone abroad to work and send money to their parents.
The exit from the road by Yabrud to road 60 is blocked by a locked yellow metal gate. We had to go the long way around to get to road 60 north –like the Palestinians.
9.40 am. We entered the Territories through Shomron Gate.
On the road near Ariel, 2 soldiers guard a “trampiada,”and another 2 guard a bus stop.
Kafr Malik. This village of 3,000 sits perched high on a mountain, midway on a road to Ramallah. Only one settlement is nearby, Kochav Hashachar, 7 km. to the west. The village, as well as the Council building are in Area B, but their surrounding lands are in Area C. The settlement expropriated some of the village lands. Otherwise, the area is quiet.
The Palestinian Authority does not pay any salaries to those who run the Council, therefore, these men work as volunteers, 1 or 2 hours in the evening, after their own work, attending to the villagers’few needs. So the Council building with an ample reception room and a big board-room is locked all day.
Nadim found a man nearby who cleans the Council building and has the key. He opened the building especially for us, and called the Secretary, who came and received us. He speaks only Arabic.
WATER: There are no problems. There is a spring, which, together with some wells they dug, supplies their needs. Ironically, also those of their neighbours, the settlers.
ELECTRICITY: It is supplied by a private East Jerusalem Co.
Thus, unlike other villages, this Council does not attend to the villagers’water and electricity needs. They do collect the annual tax of 200 sh. a year, for garbage disposal, etc.
SCHOOLS: 1 for boys and 1 for girls; each one from elementary through high school. No Hebrew is taught in the schools. The teachers' salaries are paid by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
WORK:Very few men work in Israel. Others are farmers who tend to their olive trees; some work in stone quarries in the area. Some men work in Ramallah in construction, some in restaurants, cafes, and shops; also some villagers work for the Palestinian Authority. Finally, several work abroad, sending money to their parents.
We noticed that many cars in the village had yellow Israeli license plates. We didn't ask for an explanation for this.
On a hill facing the Council, lies the village Mazra'a ash Sharqiya, sporting big new villas. On another hill, further along the road to Ramallah, there is a big Army Camp surrounded by a fence.
Instead of going back to Za'atra (Tapuach Junction) through Turmus Aya, Nadim thought to go a little to the south, towards Ramallah, and then to pick up road 60 to the north. We came through several villages and then we saw road 60 ahead. The road we were on passed under 60. There was a turn to the left and we were sure we would enter road 60. In front of us was a locked yellow metal road block. This was right outside Yabrud, We learned the hard way what the Palestinians go through all the time. We had to take winding roads back towards Mazra'a ash Sharqiya in order to go on road 60 to the north. Then we left the territories through the Shomron Gate.