'Awarta, 'Izbet alTabib, Habla, Habla Checkpoint (1393), Huwwara
A military policewoman conducts the Habla gate tyrannically, imperviously and rudely. Not only is the gate opened with a delay of 13 minutes, she also locks it 10 minutes before time. The movement of her hand signals to those who are seen approaching and are already at a distance of 30 meters from the gate at the time of closing – that the gate is locked, no matter whether it is a young man or an old one, or parents with a baby
. Within seconds the people reach the gate, but it isn't opened for them. Now they have to look for somebody who will drive them to the Eliyahu Gate. Either they will find such a driver or not. The occupation at its ugliest.
In view of the last reports we decided to begin our tout at the Huwwara CP.
15:00 Tapuah Intersection – the passage is free. Soldiers stand behind the concrete barricades at the hitch hike stations at both directions, to ensure the settlers waiting for a hike.
Huwwara – Awarta
15:10 The Huwwara CP is open for vehicles only. The entrance is free and the vehicles stream inside. The Awarta CP is open both for exit and entry. At the exit soldiers stand behind concrete barricades at two points. From time to time they stop a vehicle and check the papers. The traffic at the exit from the CP proceeds heavily and slowly. Private cars, many taxis and also vehicles belonging to Israeli Palestinians. A policewoman from the blue police turns to us in a friendly manner, she was summoned because of an accident between an Israeli vehicle and a Palestinian one. She asks us to turn to her if we feel it is necessary.
Izbat Tabib
15:45 – On out way to Habla we went to Izbat Tabib, in order to buy olive oil from our friend M. He was not at home, but his small son brought us the bottles. We saw the pretty building of the school, in the village but there is a destruction order pending against it, because it was built on the C area. It seems that in the opinion of the Government of Israel, the children of Izbat Tabib don't have the right to learn in a school. An enlightened occupation indeed.
Habla 1391
According to the information we possess, the opening hours are 16:30-17:10. The soldiers arrived at 16:40 only. In the meantime about 50 men and one woman were already waiting at the entrance. Meanwhile, for the sake of efficiency, one of the waiting people collects the papers, in order to hand a group of papers over together. At 16:43 the gate is opened at last. The checking of the papers is carried out in a shed outside and not in the booth. I raised the phone in order to photograph the people entering the CP and suddenly a shriek was heard from the military policewoman. "it is forbidden to photograph…don't you hear?" An officer who begins to talk with us is reprimanded by her, and obeys her. The soldiers let the people pass in groups of five. In the meantime more people arrive. Hay carts, tenders and trucks. All in all about 60 people entered. At 17:00 sharp the military policewoman locks the gate. From a distance of about 30 meters another worker arrives, and behind him a number of people. The military policewoman signals him that the gate is locked. He arrives within seconds, and behind him a number of other people, including a family with a baby. A total of 12 people. We ask her to open the gate for them. After all the hour of closure hasn't yet arrived. The gate was open only 17 minutes. The reaction: "who are you!", "go to your friends!" and more revilements galore. N. calls the humanitarian center and is transferred to the DCO. They call the policewoman and tells us that she says that one locks at 17:00. This does not coincide with what is known to us, but even if it is true, whey can't she wait another minute and enable those people to enter? Are they to blame for the fact that we built the fence to the east of their plots? – the soldiers departed and the people remained outside, including the crying baby. Now they will search for somebody with a vehicle who would take them to the Eliyahu CP. Perhaps they will find somebody, perhaps they won't. Strength and the control of civilians' lives are a natural habitat for the loss of humanness.