Hamra (Beqaot), Tayasir, Tue 4.9.12, Afternoon

Translator:  Charles K.

12:00  Bezeq checkpoint

We crossed.

Highway 578 – Alon Road

Three or four tanks.  Soldiers with binoculars.  They’re all north of the road, below the Rotem settlement.  We saw many soldiers, tents, equipment, vehicles along the road south of the army base and the junction.

12:00  Hamra checkpoint

The concrete cubes have been repainted bright orange and yellow.  It’s very hot! (38 degrees)

A taxi coming east from the checkpoint made a U-turn and drove back to occupied territory.   We later learned the soldiers discovered the driver tried to bring through a woman with a day-old baby.  He thought they’d be sympathetic and not make her walk in the heat carrying the child.  But no!!!  The entire family went through the checkpoint on foot, went through inspection; the woman’s suffering was visible on her face.  The taxi crossed after them.  They asked about Dafna and sent their regards.  It turned out they’re relatives of Z.

Later a large Transit taxi arrived with a family headed for Jordan.  The bags were inspected in the mobile bag scanner.  The driver called us over, complaining justifiably that a woman with a small child must walk the entire distance in the extreme heat (almost 40 degrees) rather than be allowed to ride in the vehicle.

A father with two young sons who live in Italyreturned from visiting relatives in Nablus.  He knew who we were, praised us and expressed his sorrow that so few Israelis think as we do.

Pupils return on foot from school in Farush Beit Dajan, to the tents north of the checkpoint.  They tried to take a shortcut through the checkpoint road but were made to take the road bypassing the checkpoint which is used particularly by pedestrians going west.  Schoolgirls arriving later didn’t try to take the shortcut and turned immediately to the bypass road.

Considerable vehicle traffic transporting laborers westward.

A Palestinian youth whose hands are bound behind his back is put in a military jeep.  Chana B. learned that he’s “wanted by the police.”

13:00  We left.

13:20  Tayasir checkpoint

Pupils ran through the checkpoint when we arrived, to the vehicle awaiting them.

Again we’re greeted by the sign, “The Lavie battalion leads,” and the same commander (a first sergeant) asks us not to approach the emplacement:  “Military area, C.O.’s orders.”  One of the soldiers says he’s willing to ask the C.O. about the prohibition.  He went down to the roadside position, and after the phone call no one bothered us any longer.

While Palestinian vehicles cross eastward, an Israeli bus (“Movilei Vradim”) filled with soldiers also crosses from west (from the West Bank, Area A) to east.  An Israeli tourist truck, “Gal-Tal Movilim”, crosses empty westward.  A gray off-road vehicle wants to go west.  The driver handed over his documents, parked by the roadside.  He hadn’t yet received permission when we left.

Drivers heading east stop before the checkpointawaiting a sign to advance, they get out next to the roadside position and hand over their documents for inspection.  The soldier doesn’t leave the position.  Here too we saw cars carrying laborers driving west.

13:50  We left.

The tanks opposite the Rotem settlement are still parked in the same place.  A snack truck is now parked next to them.

14:05  Bezeq checkpoint– We crossed.