Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Wed 1.6.11, Morning

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Observers: 
Raya and Hagit S. (reporting)
Jun-1-2011
|
Morning

trans: Bracha B.A.

Tarquomiya

We were already detained at the crossing when policemen took Mahmoud's driver's license – something that has not yet happened to us. 

Route 35

Quiet.  There is an army vehicle at the humanitarian checkpoint and five soldiers are stopping Palestinian cars and checking them.  A line has begun to form, but we are waved on and continue.  .

Hebron

The guard stops us at the entrance to Kiryat Arba and check's Mahmoud's driver's license again. The city is packed with cyclists in shirts reading: "In the Path of Yitzhak". Evidently this is an annual event to mark some respected person.

At Givat Avichai we counted five or six buildings and a car, and when we returned at noon we saw an army tractor and crane, perhaps they are evacuating it. A lot of children are walking back from school. M. says that it is exam time. 

At Tel Romeida a soldier stops us and asks to check whether M is certified to pass. He refuses to answer Raya, who greets him politely and when she demands that he answer her and be civil he tells her to shut up.  He makes a phone call to determine whether M. can go through. 

Raya: "You represent us here."

Soldier: "I don't represent you."

He spits a few times and threatens to spit in her face for trying to make him talk to her.

When we asked him what his name was he said it was Ariel Yenudah. 

We are held up and our driver's ID is being held by the soldiers, who continue to check Palestinians bags, ID's, call, and release them immediately. Michal T. called the police who came and said that the soldier was doing his job.   They left after a short time and gave us a phone number to call if we needed it. Michal also called the Regional Brigade and the Commander of the Givati Brigade but we did not see them taking any action. The soldier continued to keep M.'s ID card and told us that he was ashamed to represent us. He also said that if we didn't like it in Hebron, we shouldn't come. He told us to go sit in the car because we had a long time to wait. We called the police again, and after 40 minutes or so M's ID was returned and we were on our way. He simply wanted to deliberately make us wait and returned the ID after we went to sit at the nearby grocery store.

At the metal shop we met Yaakov, a Hebron man who married a Jewish woman and seems to be friendly with everyone.  We collected the tables that we had ordered a long time ago.