Beit Iba, Sun 24.10.10, Afternoon

Summary
Those of us who bear witness to violations of human rights in the Central West Bank know that there has been a marked easing of Palestinian traffic into the main cities of Qaqiliya, Tulkarm and Nablus. Today there's a paucity of permanent checkpoints, but the much less visible entrenchment of mechanisms of control over Palestinian movement grows apace. The Civil Administration runs all non-military activities of the Occupation. The Civil Administration today holds sway over Palestinian lives in Area C where the Occupier retains both full  military and civilian control. The Civil Administration is the main body responsible for implementation of the policy of house demolition for administrative reasons, i.e., lack of a building permit. And it is the Civil Administration that gives a permit for a Palestinian landowner to harvest his own olives on certain specified days during the olive harvest. Now, please read on.....

Deir Sharaf
The Musa family own large swathes of land, mainly olive groves, in the area. Years ago, the Occupier already cut down a large number of olive trees to build a "security road" around Shavei Shomron settlement at the settlers' request. Now, when the family wishes to harvest its own olives, it needs a "permit" to go to its own land. Another situation similar to the agricultural gate phenomenon. Moreover, much to our surprise, since, in the early years, we helped the family pick olives above the road leading to Nablus, today, we learned, the army has created a gate, allowing access to the olives groves only at certain times and, of course, only when the Musa family has a permit from the Civil Administration. The gate, so we learned, is open at 7:30-8:00 in the morning, then locked, courtesy of the Occupier, only to reopen at 3:00 pm, again courtesy of the Occupier. In other words, the family, its members and friends, and Israelis only if and when they have a permit from the Authorities, are locked in, and held captive midst the olive trees at the behest of the Occupier. There is little to add to this story except to say that we are witness to yet another kind of Occupation -- the "invisible" Occupation." But there's a postscript: those who are not settlers, but Israelis, will never be allowed to go there whereas the settlers keep an eye on lands that are, as yet, not completely theirs.

Qalqiliya
Unlike last week when the unmanned checkpoint was again manned, traffic flows freely today in both directions into and out of the city. We are surprised to find, on the way to the settlement of Zufim, at the barrier crossing, that the motley assembly of soldiers, border guards and military police, stare at our car, do nothing to stop our proceeding, question us not, and so we make our way to Eyal, preferring that rather than witnessing yet more new housing in the Zufim settlement.

Eyal
Here proof, not of the invisible occupation, but that the occupation is here to stay. A brand new seating area, a great improvement over the old Zim container at Habla and a wooden construction, still not completed which may, or may not be a kiosk to provide Palestinian workers with food infinitely more expensive than what they can find in Palestine. Large numbers of workers make their way from pickups, cars and transporters, through the turnstile to the building on their way home. At this time of day, no hold up.

Addendum
7:30 A call to the Musa family of Deir Sharaf which had a permit to pick olives from its own groves just below the settlement of Shavei Sholmron for today and the following three days: nobody, even those with permits, allowed to go to olive groves today. Reason: none. How do they know: The Civil Administration called the Head of the Deir Sharaf Council late yesterday evening.

As for tomorrow, inshallah!