Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Thu 21.5.09, Morning
Translation -Revital S.
06:45 - Sansana
Many people are waiting on both sides of the CP. Only one person is allowed to cross at a time. The Red Cross representative is pleased - says everything is running smoothly and that by seven everybody will have crossed. Ten lorries are waiting to cross from the Palestinian side.
Highway 60
Durah Al Fawwar is open.
The Sheep Junction is open.
Shuyuch is open.
Military jeeps are parked on the roadside by the Yehuda regional brigade HQ and by Susyia.
Hebron
Hebron and the road leading to it are decorated - lots of signs saying "Judea and Samaria, The Story of Every Jew". At the entrance into town, by the military base, there are lots of flags of the parachute brigade and red and white posters in honor of battalion 101. In town we ran across some new pillboxes painted green and white and the Pharmacy CP has been painted orange.
In the Shuhada we meet two TIPH volunteers.
The following is what we heard in conversation with two soldiers at the Tarpat CP:
• Here there's no occupation. Hebron is part of the State of Israel
• H1 territory should also be part of the State of Israel
• We are here only to protect the settlers and for no other reason. If we'll see a settler beating a Palestinian we wouldn't stop him, but if we'll see a Palestinian beating an Israeli we'll arrest him on the spot. We wouldn't stop you from beating Palestinians either (thanks)
• We were here first that's why it's ours
• Even if we make peace terrorist attacks wont stop. They hate us not because of the occupation - they've always hated us and always will
• We hate the Palestinians
• Israeli Arabs we hate more. They should be thrown out of the State
• The [Jewish] children here know us and love us
• A few days ago we found a [Palestinian] child with a knife. The next day we checked all the children, of all ages, so that they know who's the boss
• The Palestinians here are disciplined. They know what they have to do when they come to a CP
• There's only one CP here. Tel Rumeida isn't a CP
• The Palestinians aren't suffering here. They're not miserable
• They brought it upon themselves when they voted Hamas
• We voted Liberman
• We participated in Cast Lead, that's the way to do it - every so often to grind them. Every time they get stronger to declare war
• Because of you there's terror
• Because of you in the end we'll only have Gush Dan [central part of the coastal plain, including the metropolis of Tel Aviv]
• There's no partner for peace
• I don't want to make peace. I'm happy as is
• Yes, actually, "there's no partner for peace" is me, because I don't want to make peace
• I haven't a problem with it.
Tel Rumeida is deserted.
The Pharmacy CP is deserted.
Zif Junction
Five BPs and an officer are stationed by the entrance to Yata, stopping passing vehicles, among them some driven by Israeli Arabs with a yellow number plate. At first we try to inquire of a soldier why they are standing there, who they've stopped and for what reason. He doesn't know the answer to any of our questions ("don't know what I'm doing here. Don't know why I stopped them. I did what my commander said"). The commander explains that there's a very severe security alert and that's why they're there.
M., our driver, talks to someone by the grocery while we're occupied with the soldiers. He later tells us what he heard: apparently Israelis report to the Ministry of Traffic that their car was destroyed and in fact sell it to Palestinians. Since it is forbidden to sell new cars to Palestinians the soldiers confiscate the vehicles in question. It seems, then, that the brave security mission was in fact a traffic police employment.