Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Susiya
Meeting with participants in the pre-army program from Moshav Hatzeva.
We met them at 08:30 at the turn to Susya.
A bus came with 55 students who arrived from Gush Etzion after spending the Sabbath with families.
Their course about Judea and Samaria (which doesn’t even try to camouflage its approach; they don’t add, for example, “the occupied territories” in parentheses) lasts five days, of which one is devoted to meeting with Palestinians and left-wing groups. The allocation of time indicates the orientation. Therefore, it’s important to have them meet as many Palestinians as possible and hear their stories. That’s why we came to Susya where Nasser and ‘Azam told them of their experiences (Nasser ‘s speaking in the short video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNXXXhFoA2Y
Since these youths lack so much information it’s sometimes necessary to supplement what the Palestinians say with facts.
The questions the youths ask deal primarily with Palestinian incitement, the right of return, Hamas, the entire Arab world, how can they be trusted. They listened, but the answer to almost every question became a short speech presenting the opposite opinion. The main message we tried to get across was that they mustn’t demonize every Arab and assume they’re a terrorist, and that of course the Jewish terrorists are only a minority of a minority…
And all of it in a positive atmosphere, attentive, without belligerence. We spent two hours at Susya, during which we also received a glass of tea.
From there we drove to Khirbet Tuwwani. Jum’a, our friend, had a mishap and couldn’t come so we spent another two hours talking to the students.
We waited for the soldiers to escort the children from school and the students also spoke with the soldiers.
The youths asked how, as leftists, we feel in the current political atmosphere.
What to do about illegal construction, and why don’t they receive permits.
Why aren’t values taught in Palestinian schools.
What political agreement do we forsee.
How can you trust Arabs.
What about what Razi Barkai says?
And more.
The trick is constantly to remember how young they are, what is the cumulative effect of 50 years of occupation, not be belligerent and tell as many jokes as possible…
At the end of the day we opened a crack; I, for one, don’t expect their attitudes to change…but they listened, really listened. And at the end gave us a box of dates and this card and promised the next group of participants would also meet with us.
On our way back, next to the Meitar checkpoint we saw a large vehicle belonging to the Nahshon unit of the Prison Service bringing back people who’d been in Israel illegally. And again the same story: the Palestinians’ possessions remained at the prison. This time there was a youth from Samu’a whose NIS 486 hadn’t been returned (a huge amount, for him). Since he wasn’t yet 17 he’d been in Ofek youth prison near Tel Mond. They gave him a receipt but how can he go obtain the money? He won’t get an entry permit to Israel. The only way is to obtain power of attorney from him and then go to the jail and ask for the money – we exchanged phone numbers and will handle it – but the catch is upsetting and annoying. I wonder how much cash that isn’t theirs is held by the Prison Service?
Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
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Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana The checkpoint is located on the Green Line and serves as a border crossing between Israel and the West Bank. It is managed by the Border Crossing Authority of the Defense Ministry. It is comprised of sections for the transfer of goods as well as a vehicle checkpoint (intended for holders of blue identity cards, foreign nationals or diplomats and international organizations). Passing of Palestinians is prohibited, except for those with entry permits to Israel. Palestinians are permitted to cross on foot only. The crossing has a DCO / DCL / DCL / DCL (District Coordination Office), a customs unit, supervision, and a police unit. In the last year, a breach has been opened in the fence, not far from the crossing. This breach is known to all, including the army. There does not appear to be any interest in blocking it, probably as it permits needed Palestinian workers without the bureaucratic permits to get to work in Israel. Food stalls and a parking area economy have been created, but incidents of violent abuse by border police have also been recorded. Updated April 2022
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South Hebron Hills
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South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills is a large area in the West Bank's southern part.
Yatta is a major city in this area: right in the border zone between the fertile region of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding villages are called Masafer Yatta (Yatta's daughter villages). Their inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. Agriculture is possible only in small plots, especially near streams. Most of the area consists of rocky terraces.Since the beginning of the 1980s, many settlements have been established on the agricultural land cultivated by the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region: Carmel, Maon, Susia, Masadot Yehuda, Othniel, and more. Since the settlements were established and Palestinians cultivation areas have been reduced; the residents of the South Hebron Hills have been suffering from harassment by the settlers. Attempts to evict and demolish houses have continued, along with withholding water and electricity. The military and police usually refrain from intervening in violent incidents between settlers and Palestinians do not enforce the law when it comes to the investigation of extensive violent Jewish settlers. The harassment in the South Hebron Hills includes attacking and attempting to burn residential tents, harassing dogs, harming herds, and preventing access to pastures.
There are several checkpoints in the South Hebron Hills, on Routes 317 and 60. In most of them, no military presence is apparent, but rather an array of pillboxes monitor the villages. Roadblocks are frequently set up according to the settlers and the army's needs. These are located at the Zif Junction, the Dura-al Fawwar crossing, and the Sheep Junction at the southern entrance to Hebron.
Updated April 2022
Muhammad D.Apr-16-2026The entrance to the cave that served as a refuge during the war for the Na'iman family
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Susiya
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Susiya The Palestinian area lies between the settlement of Susya and a military base. The residents began to settle in areas outside the villages in the 1830s and lived in caves, tents and sukkot. To this day they maintain a traditional lifestyle and their livelihood is based on agriculture and herding. Until the 1948 war, the farmers cultivated areas that extended to the Arad area. As a result of the war, a significant portion of their land left on the Israeli side was lost. After the 1967 war and the Israeli occupation, military camps were established in the area, fire zones and nature reserves were declared, and the land area was further reduced. The Jewish settlement in Susya began in 1979. Since then, there has been a stubborn struggle to remove the remains of Palestinian residents who refuse to leave their place of birth and move to nearby town Yatta. With the development of a tourist site in Khirbet Susya in the late 1980s (an ancient synagogue), dozens of families living in caves in its vicinity were deported. In the second half of the 1990s, a new form of settlement developed in the area - shepherds' farms of individual settlers. This phenomenon increased the tension between the settlers and the original, Palestinian residents, and led to repeated harassment of the residents of the farms towards the Palestinians. At the same time, demolition of buildings and crop destruction by security forces continued, as well as water and electricity prevention. In the Palestinian Susya, as in a large part of the villages of the southern Hebron Mountains, there is no running water, but the water pipe that supplies water to the Susya Jewish settlement passes through it. Palestinians have to buy expensive water that comes in tankers. Solar electricity is provided by a collector system, installed with donation funds. But the frequent demolitions in the villages do not spare water cisterns or the solar panels and power poles designed to transfer solar electricity between the villages. Updated April 2021, Anat T.
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