Haris, Kifl Harith, Qira, Shomron Crossing, Mon 24.6.13, Morning
Harriet, Hagar (reporting), Nadim (driver)
Translator: Charles K.
09:30 We met Nadim at the Rosh Ha’ayin train station and drove toward the Shomron crossing where there were four police vehicles. On the way we saw two military jeeps at Maskha – one on the right, one on the left. Further on we saw another military vehicle driving toward the crossing, and another was parked at the turn to Barkan. Nadim thought someone important was about to visit the area.
09:50 We drove through Kifl Haris which was quiet, as usual. There are many youths in the streets and more shops are open, probably because of summer vacation.
10:00 We continued to Qira, to the club. This time ten women arrived, almost on time, accompanied by children and young girls (summer vacation) – so the club was filled to overflowing. It’s important to note that none of the girls had their heads covered – they were sweet and lovely.
Harriet began the English lesson; the girls also participated (the small children waited outside). She taught a song and played some games – it was delightful.
11:00 We moved to the exercise room (only the women – the girls and children remained to do things with Harriet). We began the yoga class. The women participate very seriously and do the exercises extremely well (including breathing exercises). I enjoy teaching them.
12:00 To mark the end of the program (Harriet will be on vacation for two months and Ramadan begins soon), Harriet laid the table with fruit and sweets she’d brought with her. We had a little party for everyone there – women, girls and children. We said goodbye, promising to return – either in mid-August (if there’s a replacement for Harriet) or the beginning of September.
12:30 Nadim arrives and we drive back via Hars – which is still quiet, as usual. We saw no military jeeps this time. This time we went through the Shomron crossing easily.
Haris
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Haris
The village has 4,500 people and they have 5,000 dunams of land. The entrance to the village is blocked and opened arbitrarily, without informing the residents.The village has a seasonal checkpoint that blocks the road to the agricultural land and this checkpoint opens once a year! 2,500-3,000 dunams were stolen from the village in order to build the settlements of Revava and Netafim, which are located west of Haris.
The center of the village is Area B and around Area C. The population grows but the occupation does not permit new construction in Area C.
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Kifl Harith
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Kifl Harith
This is a Palestinian located north-west of the settler-colony town of Ariel, 18 kilometers south of the city of Nablus. It numbers 3, 206 inhabitants, as of 2007. 42% of the village lands lie in Area B, and 58% in Area C. In 1978, some hundreds of dunams of the village’s farmland was sequestered in order to found the settler-colony of Ariel – in total 5,184 dunams from the Palestinian communities of Salfit, Iscaqa, Marda, and Kifl Harith. Dozens of square kilometers were also confiscated for paving road no. 5 as well as road 505 and their buffer zones, and the Israeli electricity company’s power station. Over the years the village has suffered harassment by sometimes-armed settler-colonists, even casualties. In 1968 the army’s rabbinate ruled the maqam site Nabi Yanoun (sanctified grave of the Prophet Yanoun) is in fact the tomb of Joshua, Son of Nun. Another structure in the village, named Nabi Tul Kifl by the Palestinians, has been identified by the Israeli authorities as to the tomb of Caleb, Son of Yefuneh. These sites are located in the heart of the village, near the mosque, and at times of Jewish religious festivities and pilgrimages, the center of the village is illuminated by projectors and thousands of Jews arrive, protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers. During such a period, a night curfew is imposed on the village and the villagers are forced to stay shut inside their homes.
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Qira
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Qira
This village is located in the Salfit district of the northern West Bank, 19 kilometers south-west of Nablus. The village population numbered 1,387 as of 2016. 97.6% of the village lands are categorized as Area B, whereas the 2.3% remaining are in Area C. The Separation Fence erected around the settler-colony city of Ariel separates Qira from its local town Salfit, and necessitates a detour of about 20 kilometers.
In 2010-2015, the women’s center in the village held meetings and workshops shared by the village women and children with members of MachsomWatch.
For further information: http://vprofile.arij.org/salfit/pdfs/vprofile/Qira_vp_en.pdf
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Shomron Crossing
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Shomron Crossing The Shomron checkpoint for vehicles. is located east of Rosh HaAyin and Kafr Qassem, on Road 5 (Trans-Samaria) leading to Ariel and the Za'atara junction. It is intended for blue ID cardholders, foreign guests or diplomats, and international organizations only. In 2009 the management was entrusted to a civil security company.
Nava EisenNov-9-2008Shomron crossing checkpoint 23.10.08
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