Falamiya, Nabi Ilyas
Construction of the road bypassing Nebi Ilyas proceeds apace. The work began after olive trees were uprooted. The demonstrations, some of which we have joined, didn’t help. The sovereign does the settlers’ bidding.
‘Azzun
We stopped at the shop. Z. is at home because of a fire. It was extinguished, but it damaged family property.
On the way to Falamya we pick up a hitchhiker from Kafr Jamal, who tells us: “Enough wars. You’re not going anywhere, we’re not going anywhere, we must learn to live together. One state for all. That’s what I said to an Israeli officer who visited us. I’ve worked throughout Israel. I’m familiar with every town. I have more Israeli friends than Palestinian friends.”
12:45 Falamya, checkpoint 914.
The pedestrian passage in the background serves Palestinians only in the morning, when many people are crossing.
The military jeep arrives on time and the checkpoint opens immediately. We and the camera are ignored. The Palestinians also say, “These guys are alright.” If only everyone were…
Three tractors and seven pedestrians enter.
Three tractors, two bicyclists and three pedestrians exit.
A. points to the landscape and says: “That entire area was once citrus groves. They were all replaced by the fence. What a mess they created for us. Who needs the fence, the security road…they’re the reason we can’t make a living. What a waste of fertile land.”
He’s the only one with a permit to get to his land. His adult children can’t obtain permits and they’re home with nothing to do. He can’t understand it. Neither can we.
13:10 The unit closes the checkpoint after everyone on both sides has gone through. We drive on a dirt road to the Falamya south checkpoint, 935.
Three people are waiting in the canopied area for the checkpoint to open, focused on their smartphones. One has a bicycle carrying a container of insecticide and the other two have a donkey cart.
That’s it.
A-Nabi Elias
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A-Nabi Elias this is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, east of Qalqilia on Road 55, north-east of Alfei Menashe colony and west of Karnei Shomron colony and the Palestinian city of Nablus. As of 2016, the village was populated by 1,458 inhabitants.
Near the village is a maqam (holy site memorializing a sanctified person) - the prophet Elisha. Until 2021 Road 55 crossed the village. Then a bypass road was paved through olive groves that were sequestered from the villagers. Consequently, the farmers were left with small olive groves that they could not access nor cultivate. Inhabitants protested against the road for weeks, supported by peace activists, but nothing helped and the road is now a given fact.
The village's main street had been a shopping center for all residents, including colonists. We even saw a Kashrut (kosher food) inspector in a butcher shop close to the falafel stand… The bypass road, according to tradesmen, has impacted their businesses and clients, while others claim that there are customers now for parking has become easier.
Alfei Menashe and Tzofim colonies nibble at the village lands from the north and south and get closer to it all the time. Colonists of Alfei Menashe have outdone themselves, sending their surplus sewage from the oxygenation pools toward a-Nabi Elias land, even reaching the houses.
The villagers are known as seekers of peace. For years there was no hostility towards Israelis. On the contrary, we were always welcomed warmly and stopped there to enjoy their delicious, inexpensive falafel.
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Falamiya
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