09:30  We left from the Rosh Ha’ayin train station.

10:00  Imatin.  Five women came to Nurit’s Hebrew class (two of the regular students were in Jordan).  The smaller group made it possible to review a text and topics that they’d already learned.  The review also helped a new student who joined today become part of the group more easily.  Today’s new topic was “Similar – similar to…”  The women enjoyed making comparisons:  among themselves, between the two children who were present in the lesson:  who’s similar to whom.  They also learned the verb “to be” – male and female, present and past tense, and male and female nouns.

The tour:

10:30  Far’ata.  We pass the reminders that “Price Tag” hoodlums from Havvat Gil’ad had left in the village:  a burned shop that hasn’t yet been rebuilt, a damaged home, two blue stars of David sprayed on walls of homes near the path along which the settlers reach the village.  A small children’s playground is nearby.  The varied vegetation in the village is notable:  small, well-kept gardens in front of the homes, rose bushes in bloom, grape arbors – a pleasure to see, despite the villagers’ difficult lives.

10:45  We drove toward Jit junction.  Two army jeeps came toward us, travelling south.  No checkpoint at the junction itself.  Along the way we saw occasional settlers (of the extremist variety) in white shirts – today’s a holiday – unarmed, waiting for rides.  How secure those lords of the land feel.

11:10  Al Funduq.  We meet our acquaintance, the village secretary, in the municipality building.  More than six months ago we began working with him to try to solve the problem of the “bloody road” running through the center of the village which has already imposed a heavy toll on the residents.  The secretary, an engineer by profession, together with a group of experts prepared a series of maps with a detailed plan for installing signs and designating crosswalks at the dangerous locations.  The maps made their way from the relevant bodies in the Palestinian Authority to the Israeli Civil Administration.  The DCL and the body responsible for construction in the West Bank even made the effort to come to the village in November to examine the problem first hand, and promised to act.  Since then – nothing.  We promised to try again.

11:40  Back to Imatin.  Nurit said goodbye to the students and we continued our tour.  There’s a manned military position at Karnei Shomron.

12:15  ‘Azzun.  The checkpoint is open.  Life continues normally in the streets.  Many shops are open, children who’ve been let out of school run around, everything’s routine for a change.

Eliyahu crossing:  About 20 soldiers emerge from a vehicle in the parking lot, armed and fully equipped; they walk toward the checkpoint.

13:00  Rosh Ha’ayin