'Awarta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Burin (Yitzhar), Huwwara, Shomron Crossing, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 24.11.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Not a pleasant day, long queues and flying checkpoints
06:15 As we left Ramat Hasharon, we already encountered an Israeli police checkpoint. It’s not clear why – maybe in the name of equality.
06:25 Azzun Atma: A long, long line. Reservists and MP’s who don’t make much effort to shorten it by assigning a soldier to register people by hand. Instead, the focus on physically inspecting those leaving and their bags of food. In response to our question, they explain that these people are likely to attack with knives. When we asked when was the last time a terror attack occurred at Azzun Atma, of course they couldn’t give us an answer.
At the checkpoint we ran into Nura and Hanna, who were taking a different route.
No Israeli police at the Shomron crossingexit from Israel.
The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.
Za’tara/Tapuach: Soldiers in the inspection booths, but traffic isn’t impeded.
Yitzhar/Burin checkpoints: No military activity.
07:10 Huwwara checkpoint plaza – A group of soldiers moving into their positions (at the entrance to the Bracha settlement and opposite the hitchhiking station).
07:20 Beit Furik: A flying checkpoint at the entrance to the village this week as well. Soldiers set up a spike barrier; traffic stopped in both directions. We try to bypass the line, like the settlers do, to ask the soldiers why the delay, but they made us get back into the line and wait patiently like the other residents. Meanwhile, dozens of additional cars arrive from both directions. A taxi tries to turn around and return to the village. We couldn’t hear why, because we were too far away. We telephoned the humanitarian office, the DCO and the Ministry of Defense; they said nothing could be done.
07:50 We left the village and saw the checkpoint had been dismantled, the soldiers had disappeared, and so did the line.
Awarta: The yellow iron bar still prevents free passage.
08:00 Huwwara checkpoint - No soldiers. A soldier blocks the road up to Bracha settlemrnt.
Burin/Yitzhar: A military vehicle parked in the parking bay, but doesn’t interfere.
08:20 Za’tara/Tapuach: No soldiers in position. A military vehicle in the parking lot but we didn’t see it interfering with Palestinians.
At the Shomron crossing, we’re asked to open the trunk.