'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara (Kafriat), Wed 13.8.08, Afternoon
. Anabta
15:55 – Seven cars are in line at the entrance, but there are scarcely any checks and the traffic is flowing. I wait in the car and Sara goes to the soldiers to make our presence known. She approaches the first inspection post and greets the soldier. He answers, "You mustn't be here!". Sara says, "But I want to talk to the other soldier". Then the soldier says, "So stay on the concrete block", "what is a concrete block? I want to talk to the commander," Sara says, and the answer is "okay".
The same welcome awaits us at the second inspection post. Sara asks, "is everything okay?" and the answer is, "you mustn't be here". – "Why?" – "Because of the police". On the way back to the car, the soldiers of the first inspection post offer Sara some water. "Keep well," Sara says and the soldier says "You too, ma'am". This dialogue, unworthy as it is of being registered, is related here faithfully word for word…
16:05 – We leave.
Jubara
16:20 – The gate is opened for us right away.
"Illegals" [in Israel without a residence permit] are waiting in line at the schoolchildren's Gate (753), but the checks are brief and they pass.
A car full of women is standing in front of us and we are in line behind it waiting for it to leave. The soldier takes the documents from all the women and from the driver, too, of course. He checks and compares them with the lists he has and then lets them pass. We pass, too.
Ar Ras checkpoint
16:30 – A police car is standing near the checkpoint. We park the car in our regular place and walk toward the first inspection post where the cars that come from Qalqiliya are checked. The soldier shouts at us from the post, "you are forbidden from passing here, stand beside the car". "Why forbidden all of a sudden? We have been standing here for years!" we say to them. We ignore him and keep walking to the second post and to the policemen. They all welcome us cordially. One policeman greets me on his way to have a drink of water. The soldiers say they are bored. Sara asks them why the soldier there is so hysterical. They say he has a tone problem, but Sara suggests he also has a vocabulary problem. They smile.
We go back to the car and, passing by the hysterical soldier, we wave to him smiling pleasantly.
16:45 – We leave Ar Ras.
16:50 – We leave Jubara, there are 13 vehicles at the entrance to Israel but the traffic is flowing.