Bruqin, Haris, Kufr alDik, Za'tara (Tapuah), Tue 25.12.12, Morning
09:30 We left Rosh Ha’Ayin in Nadim’s vehicle.
The pupils asked not to have an English class today. The schoolchildren have exams and the mothers have been enlisted to help them, so we began our circuit immediately.
Kafr a-Dik: A military jeep is parked at the entrance to the village, next to the concrete barriers that have been moved to the side. The village is very quiet. The club is closed. The loudspeaker on the municipal building announces that residents should come pay for electricity cards. It turns out that they pay for electricity in advance by buying cards. The residents decide how much to buy. Four shiny taxis are parked at the exit, unemployed.
10:30 Brukin. This village is also quiet. Most shops are closed, few people in the lanes.
10:45 Hars. We wanted to see whether tour buses and minibuses could reach the area of the demolished homes. The result: there’s an easy route for minibuses, including a partly paved road. It’s only a short distance to walk from where the minibus has to stop. The route is relatively narrow, too narrow for a bus.
11:15 We searched for an alternate route. We drove through Qira and Jama’in. On the way we saw a pretty rare sight – a garbage truck emptying large refuse bins.
11:30 Tapuach junction. A festival of “democracy”: the junction is plastered with election posters competing for settlers’ votes: Likud, Otzma LeYisrael, and the most prominent – Naftali Bennett. Little military presence at the junction. We then drove via the Ariel junction to Kifl Hars. The road is paved and wide enough for a bus to reach the area of Hars where the demolished buildings are located. Thus we finished our mission.
There was little military presence all along the way, and all the villages were quiet.
12:15 Back to the Rosh Ha’Ayin train station.