Hebron and its surroundings, Tuesday 11.10.05, AMObservers: Yeela L., Hagit B. (reporting)06:45 – 11:45Sansana – The Border Police detain, as usual, Israeli-Arabs for up to 20 minutes. They take their ID-s for inspection. Cars whose drivers have a Jewish outlook go by. The Israeli-Arabs complain to us but do not identify themselves. Racist discrimination. The works on the fence are in full swing. The crash barrier on the road that is supposed to guard the fence is already built. We see a lot of heavy equipment.Ramadin – “The differentiation” is strictly kept. Residents of Ramadin solely are allowed to pass – others – not! Soldiers from Golani, from the Barak battalion guard. They inspect the bags of children that are on their way to school. On one of the concrete cubicles we detect 2 ID-s. The soldiers explain that these belong to two old men, who did not look dangerous, from Dahariyya. On their return from work they will receive their ID-s back. The livelihood of the people lies in the hands of such young soldiers, for better or worse. In this case it was a humane gesture on their part. Samoa – Western entrance – The high dirt mounds with the new boulders on top seems permanent. A Palestinian cab arrives till the barrier. The passengers will have to go on foot at least a km or km and a half from there to reach the town.Daharyyia – The barrier and the boulders, as usual, block the way. From the road one can see that settlers have already entered the buildings of the new neighborhood of Atniel. A new hill is ceased, state property, they say. Karame – The yellow gate is open. The dirt mounds are in place. Children go to school by the side of the road. Dura el Pawar – The pillbox is manned. Traffic flows. We stepped down to greet the passers-by with “Ramadin Karim”. Taxi drivers tell us that the road is blocked every night at 11 o’clock. Sometimes they put rolling blocks and check the papers of the passers-by. The Dura municipality is maintaining and paving the road. The Sheep junction – People cross the dangerously wide road. A woman crosses, holding in one arm her baby and in the other the hand of a child, and pushes her way among the taxis. There were no soldiers when we were there.Shiuch – Sair – From the side of Shiuch the entrance is cleaned up and the passage widened. On the Hebron side people still have to climb the dirt mounds and boulders in order to pass through. The Humanitarian barrier: closed. The pillbox manned.Halhul bridge: Traffic flows.Idna – Tarqumia: Pillbox manned. Gates open.HebronThe Hill of the Patriarchs : A new road is being paved, with the collaboration of the IDF – that has brought heavy equipment – and the municipality of Kiryat Arba. More land has been confiscated from the Palestinian neighbors, as a deserve soldier in uniform, a resident of Kiryat Arba puts it: “What can they [the Palestinians] do to us?”We proceed to the Cave of the Patriarchs on the Apartheid road, where only Jewish vehicles may traverse. All the pillboxes are manned and more soldiers guard.The route of the Prayers: is closed by a gray gate, “decorated” by a lot of columns with cameras. A Palestinian family has returned to the neighborhood. We learn it from the new water tanker on the roof and the TV satellite. Mabruk! We wish them in our hearts and may they hold firm.A reinforcement unit of cadets has arrived to guard the Cave. These are the feasting days to both religions, but the Muslims are forbidden to enter the Cave and pray on their holy days. The parking lot has been widened for the Jews that come to the Cave. Buses have to park at the Police Circle.The Police Circle: The CP is manned by the Border Police. It is located between two schools: One for girls and one for boys, within the Abu-Snain neighborhood. The new CP comprises a hut, within is a scanner. Only residents of Abu Snain may pass. Others are not allowed in, “for the protection of the Jewish neighborhood”. The children, having to pass through the hut with the scanner, are terrified by the new machine. When we were there we did not see passers-by. Above the school, the army has ceased another house and a military bulldozer and anti-aircraft soldiers are guarding. Children, rushing out from school, see in front of them soldiers and more soldiers. The CP by the neighborhood of the Patriarch Abram and the other CPs toward the Cave – No one of the original residents passes by, except for one Palestinian who is driven away by the Border Police. They explain to him that he cannot go through because of the Jewish holiday. He went away but was stopped by a soldier who took his ID, only to return it to him 2 minutes later. The Qasba CP: Looked quiet and we did not stop.Tel-Rumeida CP: There are no passers-by, except for two women, who went into the hut with the scanner to the other side. Here too, only residents of Tel-Rumeida are allowed to pass, others not (except for special cases, like teachers). The girls here too have to pass the scaring scanning in the hut, twice a day. The teachers have to go through the scanner inside as well, as opposed to the treatment at the other CP.We decide to visit the girls’ school. On our way we see a unit of battalion 931 (Nahal), marching with their rifles cocked, showing off who the ruler is. The school is located on a hill. On one side of it, the army has confiscated another house. The staircase leading into the school has been barred by barbed wire. Now, one has to use very dangerously back steps (I myself fell and hurt myself).The principal told us that her grandfather had rescued Jews during the 1929 progrom. She recalls that Moshe Dayan told the mayor of Hebron that Kiryat Arba is a temporary settlement for four months, and look how many months have gone by. She showed us the signs they prepare for their daily demonstrations before the CP. We offered our assistance in writing some in Hebrew. She thanked for the offer and said she will think it over. We promised to try and do something concerning the checking of the teachers, and gave our telephone numbers. It was a most somber, depressing shift. We left in despair and in shame.