‘Azzun ‘Atma, Tue 7.4.09, Afternoon
17:30 ‘Azzun ‘Atma
Even before Hamdan stopped, three workers from the stonecutting business stopped us with their complaints. Three days ago the owner of the business and some of the workers were prohibited from going to work. They became “Prohibited by the GSS.” As a result, work stopped and the employees were very upset. We called Miki Fisher who, of course, knew all about it and had already spoken to everyone involved. On Sunday the GSS will examine all those who have been prohibited. Miki promised them to follow it up and intervene as much as is possible. They wanted us to put pressure on everyone involved.
A fortified emplacement has been installed at the checkpoint for the soldiers. “That’s for the transit point being built here,” the soldier told us.
Workers return, ready to stand behind the temporary steel pole the soldier placed on the ground to create order. All speak Hebrew fluently. One addresses us in …Yiddish… (I couldn’t understand, but Miriam translated).
And then Yusuf from 'Azzun arrived. Smiling, takes out a business card, “Gardener.” Yusuf wants to bring his car to the plant nursery on the other side, where a friend will replace the window, but the soldiers don’t allow it. He begins to recite a poem he wrote, entrancing us all: the soldiers at the checkpoint, the workers coming in, and us. Everyone’s smiling.
Here’s the poem written by Yusuf the gardener:
The occupation
Leaves me in despair.
You can see on my face
That I’m sad.
I stand at the checkpoint
Because this is where I live.
But I’m also in favor of peace
I don’t want it to remain a dream
The police say I’m dangerous
But I’m a very loyal man
I never stole anything
Wherever I worked.
I was a faithful gardener
To the residents of Kiryat Ono.
I’m opposed to the fence
And say to the soldier:
Don’t tell me “Go back”!
I’m in favor of peace
But the fence won’t bring peace.
I don’t care who does
Whether Bibi or Tzipi
Whether Abbas or Hamas
Just let it come:
Peace, peace, peace.
The soldiers, of course, didn’t allow Yusuf to bring his car over to repair its window.
And, in the spirit of the Hagaddah, Egypt is here.
'Azzun 'Atma
See all reports for this place-
'Azzun 'Atma
A Palestinian village of about 1,800 residents. The settlement of Sha'arei Tikva was established on its land adjacent to it, and the settlement of Oranit was established on its agricultural lands. By 2013, the separation fence had passed through the village and a checkpoint staffed by the army allowed the residents to cross from side to side. After building a massive wall surrounding the village and some of its agricultural lands, the residents went daily for five years to their lands that remained in the Seam Zone through the Oranit agricultural checkpoint (4). Since 2018 it has only opened during the olive harvest and the farmers have to pass daily at the Beit Amin / Abu Salman checkpoint (1447), about 3 kilometers north.From a report from March 24, 2021: "The farmers from Beit Amin and Azon Atma are happy that since February 21 the Oranit checkpoint .is going to be open 3 times a day, The farmers are really developing the place."
Report from July 14, 2024: "Ornit checkpoint is closed . The Beit Amin/Abu Salman agricultural checkpoint is closed (there is no contact with the military to check if it opens rarely), the Ezbat Jaloud checkpoint was opened once a day before the war.
Updated for July 2024
Apr-11-2019Azoun: The main entrance to village blocked now for several weeks
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