'Azzun 'Atma, Habla

A quiet pleasant day - if only there were no checkpoints.  By now there are 7 "coffee kids" at 'Azzun 'Atma

06:10  'Azzun 'Atma

There are three inspection stations (we saw this for the first time today, since we got close to the gate where we are not allowed to stand and we had a better view).  This has apparently been the case for a few weeks and that is the reason for the passage there being easier.  I thought it was just the extra efficiency of the soldiers.  There are about 60 people in line and each individual takes about 13 minutes to go through.

There are 7 kids selling coffee and one with tea as well - much tastier at this early morning cold hour.

We managed to speak with the church people who were on the other side of the fence.  The soldier tried to prevent this and announced that we had one minute to finish our conversation and indeed, after that he returned and ordered us to stop.  Since the conversation had ended, there was no problem.  They told us that at Jayyus very few people were going through because most of them preferred to go through Falamiya.  On the other hand, they said that people from Kfar Sur, Kfar Jama and others were very worried that, when work on the fence is finished, the gate will be very distant for them and will make it difficult for them to get to their fields, although it might make it easier for others.

At one point, a female soldier decided that people were getting too close to the turnstile and shouted at them, Yalla Yalla, get back! so there would be order.

The new fence reaches almost to the main highway and it isn't at all clear what happens next - will it cross the highway, or will there be a gate and all the residents of Elkana and Shaarei Tikvah will need to cross through it, or will they pave a new road for them in the direction of highway #5?

07:00  Habla

A lot of people have already gone through and passage is smooth;  30 people in 13 minutes.  Nevertheless, the line is very noisy and there are constant arguments.  One person is the "usher" and he argues loudly.  At a certain stage, the usher stopped working and went through the checkpoint himself.  After this everything was quieter.  Two children went through,aged maybe 6 and 8.  Their story is that they live with their mother in Taibeh and their father travels between their mother and his second wife in Habla;  on weekends, they go to Habla.  What a life.  Maybe they are on Purim vacation today, since their school is in Taibeh.  A lot of vehicles pass in the direction of the nurseries and back,and also the night guards return.

Meanwhile, we notice a female soldier with a portable computer and she also checks those going through, particularly towards the end, when they want to finish up the line and close the gates.

07:50

The gates are closed and it is quiet.  Before that, a number of trucks pass by on the patrol road with pieces of the fence;  not clear where they are going.  When we saw another truck on the main road, we decided to follow it.  It went in the direction of Alfei Menashe and then turned to the road leading to Ras a-Tirah and Gate 1360 to the patrol road was open.  It entered the patrol road and started to travel to the west.  We were curious and decided to travel to Matan to see if they are building a new fence there since it didn't seem as though it was going to Oranit/Azun Atmeh.  We turned around at Matan - the town sits exactly on the Green Line, with only about 30 meters between it and Hablah, on which there is an old fence and wall.  So we were not able to clarify what was going on, but we were astonished how close the two towns are and what a pity that they are not friends.