Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills

Meitar checkpoint: All breaches in the fence have been completely repaired. There is no  movement on Shabbat. There are few army patrols, but the atmosphere is completely different from what it used to be.

Hebron:

On the way to the Cave of the Patriarchs, called the Axis of Zion, Israeli flags are hoisted on a house that looks as if it is in the midst of construction. This is the House of Resurrection, about 200 meters before the House of Contention. The house was purchased, in mysterious ways that have already been reported  by Jews but the settlers have been evacuated. In the meantime, the army is securing the house until a decision is made.

The plan is clear: applying the pincer movement, the settlers are trying to encircle the Cave of the Patriarchs by purchasing houses around it. 

Cave of the Patriarchs area: Much work is being done on development. There is also tourist traffic again. There is also a police car with American Jews, inviting people to a special experience in front of the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Since there were soldiers walking around all the time, I did not photograph them.

In Abed's shop: Abed tells of the demolition of a wall at the entrance, as part of the preparations for the elevator. He says they are destroying regardless of the feelings of the Muslims. Emotions are an important thing, and maintaining the sanctity of the place, in coordination with the Muslims, is even more important. We are not allowed to enter the Muslim side to see, but we can see the quantities of flags hanging throughout the building.

A young man who has returned from a long stay in Denmark (here is my heart , he answers my question to whydid he returned to this difficult place) speaks of his longing for peace and how very disappointed he is in the leaders of the two peoples who do not work for it. The despair is great with us, he says. The future is not clear. No wonder there are a lot of acts of despair, he says.

We were happy to meet Avner Gvaryahu from "Breaking the Silence", leading a large group from Germany. He is happy to see us and introduces us to them as the bravest women in Israel, asking us to tell about MachsomWatch. We told them a little about our experiences. 

Kafisha neighborhood: The neighborhood is stuck in the middle between H1 and H2. We were happy to see that the gate next to it was opened after years of being closed and before the residents had to work in a back-to-back format with soldiers guarding. To the residents it seems unclear what the fate of this opening will be. They mumble vague, embarrassed sentences.

The grocery store is happy to point out that in their opinion it has opened  forever. Time will tell.