07:00 Tayasir Checkpoint
Completely empty, not even soldiers to be seen.
After a few minutes cars begin to arrive from both directions. The soldiers emerge slowly and everyone passes.
From the direction of Tubas, shirts must be lifted, the passengers go where they are supposed to, pass on foot, then wait for the cars to collect them.
The paucity of cars shows that people avoid passing this checkpoint. Only with no other choice do they cross here. We heard this from many passers by at Hamra.
08:00 Hamra Checkpoint
A group of teachers are waiting for the taxi that brought them. They tell of the difficulties at Tayasir, and other checkpoints that are particularly bad. For example, Ein Deuk, where comers from Jordan are sent. It is a nuisance and necessitates a circuit instead of straight to Hamra.
A woman with four children receives from us bicycles for the kids – and the joy is great.
Yellow inscriptions standing out on the concrete slabs of the checkpoint proclaim: "God is King." The battalion is "Eternity of Judea" and the company "Maccabim" 97 – and other slogans carved in the concrete: "Holy Animals," "Honour to Eternity."
Immediately upon arrival a soldier comes over to us and offers cold water, and then another joins him and asks what are out purposes. He doesn’t know MachsomWatch, only asks that we add to our tags "no to Katyushas [rockets]." Doesn’t wait for answer and walks off in anger. Another soldier who stayed to talk sees justice in punishing Palestinians who make trouble, and when we argue against, he says "it’s not us, it’s the police." We have never see police at Hamra, but we have often seen detainees."
"When will we be without checkpoints?" says a young Palestinian painfully, and another answers: "Someday it will be okay." Yet another comes over to show us permits from Judea and Samaria DCO for passage for two cars that he owns, but they won’t let him through because he lives in Tamoun. If he would live in Jericho, there would be a possibility of crossing. He trades together with his children. From the multitude of prohibitions and restrictions we are also confused, don’t understand why if this is the case were the permits given? But he has learnt to manage. He gives the cars to somebody from Jericho who passes them through.
The soldiers see and know – but he, who occasionally passes three times a day cannot take them through.
At the checkpoint itself, people and cars crossing quickly, without delays.
09:20 we leave.