'Azzun 'Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Falamiya, Habla, Mon 2.9.13, Morning
A regular occupation day, everything in order, lots of holes in the Fence - so, why aren't there any attacks?
06:10
We travel in the direction of 'Azzun 'Atma, but at the entrance to the small side road, leading to the Tamar gate, we see a military vehicle. We decided to stop and ask if the Tamar Gate is open; the answer was "should we lift the gate"? Not clear what they meant, and since the main gate to the road there was open, and the sign saying "no entrance" had been removed, we went on and traveled on the small road to the Tamar gate and, to our astonishment - no gate! no fence, simply everything was open wide, and that means that it is even possible to leave 'Azzun 'Atma in a car and travel to Israel. Of course, there are a lot of other areas along this fence that are open, including an space that is open because of work on the new fence (where one doesn't yet see any work, no workers and no vehicles).
06:15 'Azzun 'Atma
There are a lot of workers waiting outside and a small line in front of the inspection booths, moving very quickly.
06:40 Habla
The gate was already open, people went through and the pace was relatively fast. Some shouting and pushing in the line, but, as the night guard from the nursery said to us, "Don't you know that Arabs always shout?". I guess we didn't know. There seem to have been arguments about the line even though there was an usher who takes an ID from everyone and puts it in a package which he has in his hand and he organizes the line. Nevertheless, there are arguments, but everything ends peacefully and, despite the long line, longer than usual, by 07:15 it disperses and now, whoever arrives goes through. At 07:30 the childrens' buses arrive, one for boys and one for girls and both are almost empty. There was a girl in the boys bus for some reason; why they can't send just one bus isn't clear to us, but it is none of our business. They went through quickly.
07:45 Eliyahu gate
There are about 6 vehicles but no pedestrian line.
08:20 Falamya
Quiet as usual, a small piece of heaven if only there were no gate. From far away, one sees equipment along the new fence line, but no activity.