Jaba (Lil), Qalandiya, Sun 8.1.12, Afternoon
Translation: Ruth Fleishman
Qalandiya:
At the deserted territory over which no authority takes responsibility, the place which is a 'no man's land", that according to the maps belongs to the city of Jerusalem that holds the duty to provide services such as the evacuation of garbage which is just one example, piles of trash were set fire to near the wall that surrounds the checkpoint, for this is the only option that the residents of the refugee camp have for getting rid of this sanitary hazard that accumulates into mountains of garbage.
The claim made by the workers of the municipality that they avoid the place for fear of violence and attacks, are unconvincing in light of the raids performed by the inspectors on the poverty stricken paddlers, hunting down children as well as men, events which occur every day in that very same place.
On the wall, in black and blue was a greeting from Berlin:
"Freedom, Peace & Justice for Palestine! Tabea from Berlin". And between the hundreds of vehicles stuck in endless traffic jam, that tail of which could not be seen, the child Muhamad was selling lupines packed in nylon bags tied in a rubber band.
Jaba checkpoint:
Lately (so say the cab drivers), soldiers have been reinforcing the policemen who prevent those coming out of Ramallah/Qalandiya from driving freely on road 60 on their way to Hizmee checkpoint. Apparently, there is need for combined forces for this assignment which is in service of the settlers.
Four Palestinian detainees stood by the checkpoint, watching the dog and its trainer walk towards their car, inside and around which the dog received its training. Once the pair from the Oketz unit were finished and the owner of the Palestinian car that "hosted" the dog (which according to Islam defiles everything it comes in contact with), did as Palestinians do after decades of years under occupation, each time they are released without harm, and shouted loudly towards the soldier that returned his keys to him: "Thank you so much!".