'Anin, Mevo Dotan (Imriha), Reihan, Shaked, Sun 14.10.12, Morning
Translation Dvora k.
5:30 A'anin
The olive-picking season provided an opportunity to do our observation at sunrise, always wonderful in A'anin. The gates are open, those who have permits are going through one by one. We entered and went to the inner gate where the inspection is done without anyone stopping us. At the time of opening, a man, H., from the DCO was also there, and we had a friendly conversation, despite differences of opinion. In his assessment, about a hundred people were waiting to go out. H. knew that after the Holiday of the Sacrifice ('Id el Adha?) at the end of next week, olive-picking will be at the peak and the number of people with permits will grow a great deal. He says that the permit policy is not at all strict, but the army does not interfere in the affairs of the GSS or the police.
6:00 Shaked/Tura
Like us, the man from the DCO hurried to get to the opening of the CP which, normally, not during the olive-picking season, opens only at 7:00.
Traffic leaving for the seamline zone is thin and flowing. It is expected to increase later when school children and university students; the banker and the teacher and all the regular clients will be going through. A herd of goats goes through now. We still wonder what happens this year to the little school children who used to arrive with the driver Y., and how and where do the Bedoui children go. At 6:40 we left for Barta'a and Ya'abed.
6:50 Reihan / Barta'a
We passed the Barta'a CP and on the road we counted nine loaded trucks waiting for inspection. Apart from that we had the impression that the lower parking lot still is not full and traffic leaving for the seamline zone was flowing easily.
7:00 Mavo-Dothan / Ya'abed
The CP is being re-organized and on both sides there are long queues. Two soldiers leave what they are doing in order 'to banish' us. They ask us to move our car which, they say, is parked 'exactly in the way'. They claim that their role is to make sure that the children's bus which comes down at this time from Mevo Dothan will not be hit by stones. The bus passed and we stayed put as did the cars which, for some reason, are inspected this morning on the way to Jenin. When we felt that the inspection was unnecessary, and was being done to make an impression on us, we left.
7:30 We passed the Barta'a CP again. Now eleven trucks were waiting on the road; the lower parking lot was full, but traffic was flowing. We left.