Translator:  Charles K.

“No news is good news” doesn’t apply here.

The despair, the evil of the occupation routine, continues.

Sansana checkpoint (Meitar crossing)

8:00 Three buses at the checkpoint, transporting relatives to visit prisoners in Israeli jails.  The shed on the Palestinian side is already empty; the passengers have crossed to the Israeli side.

Highway 60

Calm and quiet. A flying checkpoint at the Dura-al Fawwar junction.  As soon as we arrive the soldiers who emerge from the pillbox pack up their things.  The “hour of harassment” is over for now.

Hebron

The town isn’t yet fully awake.  Summer vacation affects everyone.  Soldiers (Giv’ati brigade) everywhere, but no delays at any checkpoint.  I think we should start later in the day.

On our way out, we saw at the Kiryat Arba gas station a huge truck carrying pipes and a rig for dismantling agricultural equipment.  M. called it to our attention.  We wondered whether it’s a harbinger of destruction – yet to come, or already accomplished?  Driving on we saw a convoy of military vehicles (including Border Police) going in the other direction; it wasn’t clear where they were headed.  Someone must have already “hit the jackpot” today.

H. called; he owns the olive grove that was vandalized.  He told us that law enforcement personnel came to his grove and tore to pieces a pipe another family had lain to steal water for its own plot of land.  He says everyone knows he’s not the criminal, and they also exactly who is.  But the work permit they confiscated because they suspected him still hasn’t been returned.  Let’s see how long it takes the few people working to obtain justice to get him the right to earn an honest living.