Kfar Kadum

Kfar Kadum Thu. 17.2 AMObservers: Tal B, Ofra C, Yudit A (reporting)From early in the morning we received telephone calls from the checkpoint at the entrance to Kfar Kadum. 150 people were not being permitted by the army to access the road, the sole exit from the village. We drove there instead of to Beit Iba. The army claimed that there was an alternative route, the Palestinians said it had been flooded in the heavy rains and was impassable. We drove along the Apartheid road towards the village. We approached the checkpoint manned by settlers from Kedumim and decided not to risk a confrontation. Instead we drove off in search of the alternative path to the village, although we assumed that if it had been accessible, there would not be 200 people stuck for hours at the checkpoint. (Even when the road is in reasonable condition, a twenty minute journey takes two hours). We found ourselves in a maze which led nowhere, pathways winding through the hills, guided by advice from villagers who couldn’t tell us where and when there was a block.While we were on this surrealistic journey, which is reality for the Palestinians, reports continued to reach us about the intolerable situation at the checkpoint and were told they were awaiting our return. We contemplated trying to return through the Apartheid road but concluded that since the road was closed by order of the army, apart from frustration in the face of the expectations of the Palestinians, our presence would be useless. Meanwhile Dafna contacted Knesset Member Bronfman’s parliamentary aide and on Saturday, at the request of the villagers, we will take part in a quiet protest march along the road.