The point of this tour was to show and explain the occupation to our guests from the Israeli side of the Separation Barrier, get to know the seam zone and the problems that arose with the building of this barrier. To explain that the intentional construction of colonist between Palestinian villages several kilometers from the ‘Green Line’ and the will to leave them on the Israeli side of the barrier and enable them to move to and from Israel without crossing checkpoints inside the West Bank created huge enclaves of Palestinian farmland lately becoming de facto annexation.

We began with Elkana, explained about the home of Hani that remained outside his village Mas’ha, separated from it by a high concrete wall. The large gate that once enabled Masha farmers to harvest the olive trees of the area is now blocked by concrete slabs. The olive tree grove has disappeared years ago under piles of construction rubble.

This time, again, a ‘security’ vehicle appeared minutes after us, but the officials were nice and only asked what we were doing there and left. We continued on foot a bit to the north to view the colony Etz Efraim developing in the wadi and separating the two villages that were once neighbors, Mas’ha and Saniriya.

We drove to Oranit, with explanations about moving the fence that used to divide Azzun Atme, our vigils there, and the change of route and building of the mighty wall. We stopped near gate no. 4 that was not yet opened and does not enable Azzun Atme villagers who own land around Oranit to cross them every day the way they used to before the war. We stopped to see A., owner of a shot and nursery on the road leading to Kfar Qassem. He has not been home for 5 months now. His sons do not receive a permit to help him with his field and grove work, and he must hire (at greater cost) workers from Kfar Qassem. One of the sons managed to reach him, was arrested and spent weeks in jail. A. himself crossed Eyal checkpoint, can stay in the site but is afraid not to be able to return if he goes home. There is also a flower nursery next door, belonging to – or managed by – an inhabitant of Kfar Qassem.

We drove on to Eyal Checkpoint everything looked closed for the noon break, we saw no one, and continued to Tzufim Checkpoint. A short waiting line formed there because the soldiers stopped two commercial vehicles and inspected them for minutes. We crossed without problems. We came to Qalqiliya Junction and from there went on to Road 55 and on westward. We crossed Eliyahu Checkpoint, watched cars directed for thorough inspection right of the checkpoint, stopped for a while at the guidance center next to the checkpoint, and took in the varied plants there.

The point was to reach the opening of Habla Checkpoint on time. Turning to Alfei Menashe settlement, when we stopped for explanations (following the fence being moved by court order, and return of 4 villages to the West Bank), on the road leading to the checkpoint, a military vehicle came and asked us to leave. After a short round to get acquainted with Alfei Menashe settlement and Arab A Ramadin village caged outside the West Bank, between Alfei Menashe settlement and Road 55 – its inhabitants disconnected from the West Bank- we continued westward. Thus, our guests saw with their own eyes the absurd situation that obliges Qalqiliya inhabitants, whose lands and nurseries are on both sides of the road, to drive all the way to the ‘Green Line’, cross it, drive inside Israel proper all the way to the gas station on road 444, make a U-turn and return to road 55 and the nurseries south of it. Reason: in order to punish them, the two roundabouts that enabled them to reach their own lands inside the seam zone were annulled.

We reached the Habla Gate at 1:25 p.m. Our previous experience showed it was supposed to open at 1:30 p.m., although the truck drivers said they were told it would open at 1 p.m. The gate was closed, no soldier in sight, added barbed wire spirals make it even higher, but the space between the two wings remains the same…

At 1:30 p.m. a white vehicle arrived, and soldiers began getting ready to open the gates. A female soldier asked us what we were doing and we must not be there. I answered that I am from MachsomWatch and it is our duty, and the female officer with her just made the hand gesture meaning ‘let it go…’. Private cars and trucks were slow to cross but with no hitches. We stopped for a cup of coffee and some talk at O.’s, and drove back to Tel Aviv.