‘Azzun, Eliyahu Crossing, Isla
Isla – Near the building in which we teach the children, there is a charming plot of land where many fruit trees and edible plants grow. We know its owner but this was the first time we were invited for tea\coffee at the reclining hut. The two men we conversed with had worked in the past in Israel at renovations. The younger of the two is a General Security Service preventee. Naturally he doesn't know the reason. His lawyer deals with the withdrawal of the prevention, but it seems he resigned himself to the situation.
Many of the village's inhabitants went out to pick their olive trees, although the olive picking season has not yet begun. The farmers are forced to manoeuver and to begin the picking sooner because of the proximity of the Jewish holiday (some of them work in Israel and the holiday season is used to pick olives) and the Islamic holiday which arrives later (one doesn't pick oranges during the holiday). We talked about the holidays and we wished both of them a joyous Id El Adha. Before we left the younger of the two said he would bring his small daughters to the lesson and indeed he did so.
About 20 children aged 3-13 arrived for our weekly meeting. We began with English songs and activation and then we exercises the word groups which we learned at the preceding lesson and the children were asked to write short sentences on the blackboard. At the second half of the lesson the children were divided into 3 active groups. Painting sheets, letter exercising puzzle and the falafel king game. They enjoyed the activity very much and asked us to bring the games next time too** which we shall do.
An hour and a half later we departed with hugs and kisses.
12:00 Azzun – There are some young people on the street before the Friday prayer. At the entrance to the village there is a military jeep at its fixed post, with three soldiers next to it, sharing a meal on the concrete wall. On the hill above there is a fixed observation post and even beyond the road there is another one. "The big brother" controls and observes all the time. On road no. 55 there aren't any military vehicles.
At the Eliyahu crossing – the examiner: "where are you from?" We: "Tel Aviv, Petah Tiqva and Tira". The Examiner: "Identity Cards, Please". An exchange of words, examination of the car and authorization to continue. Many thanks.
** Next week there will be no shift because of Id El Adha.
'Azzun
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Azoun (updated February 2019)
A Palestinian town situated in Area B (under civil Palestinian control and Israeli security control),
on road 5 between Nablus and Qalqiliya, east of Nabi Elias village. The inhabitants are allowed to construct and improve infrastructures. The Separation Fence has confiscated lands belonging to the town's people. In 2018 olive tree groves owned by one of its inhabitants were confiscated for the sake of paving a road to bypass Nabi Elias. Azoun population numbers 13,000, its economic state dire. Its infrastructures are poor, neglect and poverty rampant. In the meantime, the town council has completed paving an internal road for the inhabitants' welfare.
Because of its proximity to the Jewish settler-colony of Karnei Shomron and its outposts, the town suffers the intense presence of the Israeli army, especially at nighttime: soldiers enter homes, arrest suspects, trash the house and sometimes ruin it, as they do in numerous places in the West Bank. At times a checkpoint closes the entrance to the town, so no one can come in or get out.
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Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing
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Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing This checkpoint, also known as the Fruit Crossing, is one of the main checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank. It is located on Route 55 between Alfei Menashe and the turn to Qalqilya and Zufin, more than 4 km east of the Green Line, in the separation fence, which separates Qalqilya from its lands to the south, thus leaving Alfei Menashe West of the fence - the Seam Zone. This checkpoint, a few kilometers across the Green Line, is intended for "Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the population of the Seam Zone." It is managed by a civil company. Palestinians with a special permit for their lands in the seam area are also allowed to pass through it, on foot, and sometimes by car.
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