Translation: Hanna K

Habla gate #1393

We arrived – Dvorka, Amira and Dalia – before the time of the opening of the CP, which is 13:00. We already found there Aliya, Alex and Michal. There still are no Palestinians, but only a military vehicle  standing on the side, ready for every scenario…

From the other side of the fence we saw about 10 international volunteers, waving flags. We also brought machsom watch flags on which is written – as  is known –" No to the Checkpoints".

But we didn't wave them, only towards the end. We feared that it would be considered as a demonstration and will be a  pretext to send us away or to close the CP. Later a  reinforcement of our members – Ruth and Natali – who returned from the  Jordan Valley, arrived.

We communicated with gestures and phone with the internationals on the other side, whom we had met the day before at Izbat Tabib.

The number of soldiers grew from moment to moment. At first there were 3 and in the end 25! The mass of army presence, men and vehicles, created a sensation of preparation for a martial event…

And all this against what? – Against 10 internationals on the one side and 8 Israeli women on the other.

Military persons of all ranks, they grew more and more, from a simple soldier to a colonel, not less.

When the opening time of the CP approached the Palestinians began coming. At 13:00 the gate was opened and they began letting people, donkeys and vehicles through. With each passage of a vehicle the gate was closed, and was reopened for the passage of the next  vehicle. We asked ourselves: What are they afraid of so much??? There is no logical explanantion (as for the entire situation).

And as mentioned before, before leaving the place we removed from the car the 5 flags of our opposition to the checkpoints and waved them while singing… an entirely  weird scene. We noticed that a soldier commemorated the moment (and us) with a camera.

We bid the internationals and the  Palestinians who remained there goodbye , and left, each to her own destination.

Dvorka, Amira and I (Dalia) continued to Jayyus to unload from the car the clothes and  commodities for the shop of N. When entering Jayyus we chanced upon a tense and unpleasant situation to say the least. A military vehicle roams around the village. "Roaming" is the best definition I found, and it attracts children from all directions to throw stones on it. And we find ourselves between the children and the military vehicle. Hoewever, we are not completely helpless as near us is N. who with his thunderting voice chases the children away from us.

We entered his house to wait until the danger is past, and on that occasion we benefited from the magnificent delicatessen of his wife.

We went on to the shop which is due to open these days (with the help of all of those who contributed clothes and shoes and appliances and all kinds of paraphernalia) and took great pleasure to see the aesthetics of the shop.

There is still need for shoes and kitchen utensils. Whoever has such – should contact me.