The entrance to Azzun is still blocked
We arrived in Azzun in the morning and the sinister cement blocks at the entrance had already been there for 9 days…We found a roundabout way and eventually got by. We heard that all night long, the army had been entering and the air was full of the acrid smell of tear gas. Our friends were sitting together with their children in an interior room with windows closed, and praying that the army wouldn’t enter there.
It was clear to us that Azzun by night is very different than Azun by day. The explanation is that a few people stole iron bars from the army’s supply! And thus the collective punishment fell on the heads of the residents of Azzun.
From there, we traveled to Falamiya. We met a few people we knew and spoke to them. They were all interested in our elections and as pessimistic as we were.
The soldiers arrived in time. First of all, they placed a small tortoise next to the fence which strolled along the crossisng; really, the 2 soldiers there were very pleasant and spoke with some of the people who were going through as well as with us.
A female soldier and another soldier were very friendly with the people going through and a few stopped to chat with them. They also spoke freely with us. We questioned them about the reason why one farmer had been refused entry in the morning; he wanted to bring his equipment for repair or cutting of a damaged pipe. That is what his brother told us. The explanation we received from the female soldier was that the Palestinian office hadn’t provided the man with the required permit! If he had brought the Palestinian permit, they would have happily allowed him to bring through the equipment he needed.
WAZE brought us to the Teenim Crossing and there we had an absurd experience: a very exacting inspection of the telephone, bags and the entire car, including search dogs and all this carried out by really friendly security workers who just couldn’t understand what we were doing there. There were interested in a sticker on my car from Museum on the Seam “COEXIST”, which had symbols of all 3 religions; they received full explanations! From there, we travelled home to Tel Aviv.
'Azzun
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Azoun (updated February 2019)
A Palestinian town situated in Area B (under civil Palestinian control and Israeli security control),
on road 5 between Nablus and Qalqiliya, east of Nabi Elias village. The inhabitants are allowed to construct and improve infrastructures. The Separation Fence has confiscated lands belonging to the town's people. In 2018 olive tree groves owned by one of its inhabitants were confiscated for the sake of paving a road to bypass Nabi Elias. Azoun population numbers 13,000, its economic state dire. Its infrastructures are poor, neglect and poverty rampant. In the meantime, the town council has completed paving an internal road for the inhabitants' welfare.
Because of its proximity to the Jewish settler-colony of Karnei Shomron and its outposts, the town suffers the intense presence of the Israeli army, especially at nighttime: soldiers enter homes, arrest suspects, trash the house and sometimes ruin it, as they do in numerous places in the West Bank. At times a checkpoint closes the entrance to the town, so no one can come in or get out.
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Falamiya
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Te'enim Crossing The Figs checkpoint, located on Road 557, east of the Green Line and the Ephraim Checkpoint (Road 444), is a vehicle crossing, open 24/7 all year round. It serves the Israeli population, including those authorized to enter the Palestinian Authority. The passage of foreigners holding international passports recognized by the State of Israel is approved. In exceptional cases will the passage of a Palestinian be allowed here.
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