The road to Nabi Ilyas is still blocked. Many heavy vehicles are in the area. Perhaps they prepare the old road to enable a passage which would shorten the approach to the village for the Palestinians. In the meantime everybody drives on the bypass road.

The Oranit 1471 CP is closed. We must find out why it isn’t open. It would shorten the way for everybody coming from Azun Atma.

On the system road in the direction to Abu Salman, work continues at full speed. More and more walls and fences. The construction contractors must be happy. The funds seem to be unlimited.

The nets are spread out along the road and the power shovels will pose them on their intended location, on the other side of the road.

Oranit touches the fence. How do the Oranit inhabitants feel when they look out of their windows and see every day Palestinians waiting for the opening of the CP, farmers who passed the CP and begin the long trail to their plots, policemen and soldiers, the system road, walls and fences?

Beit Amin 1447 CP

We talk with 3 Palestinians who are waiting for the opening:

B. from Siniria. Since he was 13 years old  he has been working in Israel and his Hebrew is good. His father is very sick and he supports the family. In the morning he works in agriculture and grows orange and zaatar, and in the evening he works in the cookie bakery at Barkan.

The second is from Azun Atma, 21 years old, arrives with a cart and a donkey. His family’s plots are near Oranit. He walks from his home a few kilometres to the CP and a few further kilometres to his family’s plots. He says that even his donkey almost died when going up the slope.

The third is an elderly Palestinian with a tractor and a cart loaded with lambs.

12:50 The army vehicle arrives and only 8 minutes later they open the gate. The policewoman asks us not to take photos.  Our presence seems to annoy her. She doesn’t enable the waiting Palestinians to cross over. We decide to leave.

13:25 Habla 1391 CP

The soldiers are present and the CP in the direction of Habla is already open.

Leaving: 17 vehicles, some of which are loaded with plants. 25 pedestrians and the schoolchildren minibus.

Entering: 5 vehicles

We visit the plant nursery. A. tells us that from the beginning of this week they close the gates at noon at 14:00 hrs, of course without informing the Palestinians and the latecomers are not allowed to pass. (I check the opening hours table which I received from the DCO the night before, and indeed the opening hour has been changed. But why don’t they inform the Palestinians?)

Yesterday A. arrived with his vehicles at 14:00 exactly and the policewoman didn’t allow him to pass. His car hindered her from closing the yellow arm and he insisted not to move. He thought that she was closing the gate before its time. An argument ensued. In the end the policewoman gave in and allowed him to pass with his vehicle, but all the others remained outside. What arbitrariness! What cruelty!

The opening hours are not indicated on the signposts and when the DCO changes them their people don’t think it appropriate to inform the Palestinians.

WHY?

Azun  At the entrance there is no military vehicle. We visit the shop to bring them parcels.