Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara

Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara Sunday 30.07.06 PM Observers: Alix W., Susan L. (reporting)Guests: Monica P., Stuart W. Summary We associate the eagle with (American) patriotism, with the military, and with pride so maybe it was not surprising that we saw one -- if it indeed was an eagle- soaring over the parched, dry fields just beyond Fonduk not far from the settlement of Qedumim A bird with a huge wing span, soft beige coloring and a white head. Beautiful. One could forget its power as it wheeled in circles high above. But we couldn’t help but wonder what it might make of the supreme dominion exercised over Palestinians everywhere, but observed today particularly at Jit Junction ( see separate report), just beyond the next set of hills and at A-Ras where behaviors inappropriate to a soldier -- indeed any decent human being -- made a mockery of “pride” in all its several meanings. And what of pride that “goeth before a fall?” The Book of Proverbs surely had it right that a people with such overconfidence and arrogance are likely to fail – in the long run. On the way to AnabtaWe see proof of what we hear from the men at Beit Iba: that the Shave Shomron checkpoint, now fully guarded with brand new military watchtower and prettily decorated wall (for the benefit of the settlers) is completely closed even to ambulances and certainly to the inhabitants of Sebastia, visible just beyond the checkpoint. No wonder we see the minibuses making their tortuous way across fields, assuming that they can still find a way through the trenches and mounds created continuously anew by the army. 16:30 AnabtaThere is a vast amount of traffic, stretching all the way to the junction with the apartheid road. The coffee man greets us here, “I’ve finished all my coffee for the day.” There’s a chaotic situation with a huge army earthmover snaking its way past trucks and cars. There’s also an altercation with people waiting at the “taxi rank” area, two soldiers shouting at a man, and at this point we can’t make out if he’s Palestinian or Palestinian-Israeli. Just then, a blue police jeep arrives, and a policeman gets out, shouting, “any Israeli found here disobeying (what is not clear) will receive a 5000 NIS fine.” By now, we hear that the checkpoint is closed. In fact, in front of us, there are more bulldozers, earthmovers, tractors and a lone soldier near the military lookout tower, tells us that the checkpoint is closed, but only for the day. It’s being “renovated” (which may or may not mean widened). It’ll be “all new” and “will be open tomorrow.” But we note that at this hour nobody is working….Pedestrians coming with children and packages from Tulkarm are subjected to a longer walk than usual, and a thoughtful woman who drives her car closer to help out is shouted at by the soldier. 16:55 Jubara A forgotten outpost, like something out of the Wild West, yet brand new just a short while ago. The Palestinian whom MachsomWatch encountered last year again lives in the empty detainee compound. The more things change, the more they get worse….The Children’s Gate, 753, is not manned, and we drive straight across to the dusty, parched and boiling hot checkpoint at: Ar-Ras17:00 The traffic snakes all the way down the hill, in the direction of Tulkarm. There’s been a “mess” the soldiers complain and add that there’s “closure” (the logic of long jams plus closure escapes us). Pedestrians with children, packages, plastic bags, large boxes containing cake or pastries wind their way up the hill to the taxis on the other side of the concrete blocks marking the checkpoint. At the Tulkarm side horizontal concrete blocks are three soldiers who don’t outdo themselves, but work non stop. Not so at the vertically placed concrete blocks at the Jubara hamlet side of the checkpost where a lone soldier is placed high above and uses his location and his position to demonstrate the baser aspects of human nature. We are told that we should be “working up North, not wasting your time here.” Palestinians, of course, are treated either not at all, since the soldier must gaze at his nails, eat an apple, or pace around his aerie; or, Palestinians are treated with disdain, bordering on dismissal or denial. So much so, that a young man, subjected to such behavior is told by the soldiers at the horizontal cubes to continue on to Jubara. The soldier on high is overruled. At the horizontal concrete cubes, two of the soldiers complain to the sergeant commander that there’s no water – much needed in this godforsaken place. A Hummer soon arrives, bearing fresh supplies, which it takes all four soldiers, plus their mates in the Hummer, to deal with. At one point, there are five soldiers pouring ice and water from one container into another icebox. The Palestinian vehicles and pedestrians must wait and wait and wait. A group of seven agricultural workers is there since our arrival half an hour ago. They are “being checked,” we’re told, and their IDs are certain up on high in the soldier’s aerie. An occasional phone call is placed, but the IDs are usually played with, taken from one hand to be placed in another. The soldier makes sure to take his sweet time with everything and everybody. Eventually, he calls over one young man, gives him a talking to, from on high, of course, “You came from Taibeh (probably trying to earn a few shekels), but this is the last time…” Another wait, until a second leaves after having been given the same telling off. There are still four to go by the time we leave. 17:35 A man wishes to visit family in Jubara, has no permit, just his ID and a piece of paper. He’s come from Tulkarm, understands very little Hebrew. The soldier descends from his aerie as the man starts to walk towards the village, “What do you think you’re doing?” He takes the piece of paper from the man, stuffs it into his pocket as we voice our amazement and outrage. The sergeant comes over from the concrete blocks, and in another tone, makes it clear that there’s no way he can go, and no way that the piece of paper remains hidden away by the other soldier. 17:45 As we leave Jubara, our IDs are checked, and there’s a blue police van pulled across the roadway, forcing every Israeli vehicle to be stopped and inspected as it heads into the Occupied Territories.