Translator:  Charles K.

06:30  Most of the laborers at the Sansana checkpoint have already crossed to the Israeli side; dozens  still wait for their rides.  Next to the revolving gate we meet a CPT representative.  He says about 4,000 people crossed this morning, without any unusual incidents.  A short distance along Highway 60 we see a large sign by the roadside:  “Welcome to Har Hebron – Come to visit, come to connect, come to stay.”

We turn onto Highway 317 and…”Fulfill your dreams in Sussiya,” flags of the homeland waving gently along the road in the morning breeze.  The highway is empty, deserted, as is the little village of a-Taywwani.  We stopped next to the “archaeological excavations” carried out about a year ago.  We looked around – the excavations are fine!  And the landowner, who wanted only to lay a water line in order to have flowing water at home was”granted” a dubious structure for his sheep.  But water?  Nope.

We wanted to accompany the children on their way to school but it was too early so we drove on to Hebron.

We passed the Carmel settlement where a sign proclaims “Carmel’s new neighborhood – 13 housing units;” construction is well-advanced.   Just this morning Ha’aretz reported that the Americans gave their tacit consent to construction “only in the large blocs.”  Is Carmel also in one of the “large blocs”?

We drive on.  Poor villages line the road.  A woman carries a pail of water on her head and holds a second in her hand, just like in the … 16^th century…  Along the road, before Zif junction, dozens of children walk to school.

Hebron. 

The Ja’abari family built an additional house near the beginning of the Kiryat Arba –Hebron road.  We hope it will stand a long time.

On the upper road past Beit Hameriva/Hashalom is a roadblock where some Palestinian cars whose drivers have crossing permits are allowed to stop, the driver may lift the roadblock, go through, then replace it without having to “bother” the soldiers guarding the house, and thus be able to use the road.  But they’re only a chosen few.  Most have to take a detour on a bumpy road restricted to Palestinians…

“There’s no limit to idiocy,” Yael says.

CPT women at the Pharmacy checkpoint tell us that Issa was arrested the day Obama met Abu Mazen and has been in jail since.  They don’t know what happened to him.  They also said children told them that in a booth at one of the crossings where they’re often stopped to have their schoolbags inspected there are photos of children on the wall and many times they’re asked to identify the children in the photos and asked their names.  We promised to try and find out what’s going on.  They also said that during 65 days, 45 children had been arrested!  We later phoned a local acquaintance to find out where Issa is.  It turns out he had been held for two days and then released without having been charged with anything.

We saw new signs at Tel Rumeida (only in Hebrew, of course) directing visitors “To the tombs of Yishai and Ruth – to Admot Yishai.” 

There’s also a large new sign on Shuhadah Street (“King David Street,” according to Anat Cohen) at the corner of the Avraham Avinu neighborhood:  “The ancient Jewish Quarter Avraham Avinu Synagogue.”