DCO (District Coordination Offices)

9:00 to 10:50 
Naomi Gal translation

Three windows are open. Many Palestinians are passing but according to their reports the passing doesn’t take long: they say that there are not many people on the Palestinian side and that it takes about 15 minutes to pass. Towards the end of the shift an ecumenical volunteer passed and reported it took her 25 minutes.

A strange event at the beginning of the shift: an older woman passed along with two men, all of a sudden soldiers run toward her claiming she was not checked in the sleeve on the Palestinians side and had surpassed it (how is that possible?). They took her back, checked her and demanded her to return to the other side and go through the security check. Eventually she came back and crossed over to Jerusalem.

By the end of the shift: a 45 year old man presented his permit and was turned down. When I asked the soldier at the window why he was refused passage, the soldier said that the permit was no longer valid.  The man stood there between the windows, probably hoping for a miracle. A few minutes later, a security guard led him into an inner room. 5 minutes later the security guard came out apparently summoned by a soldier in window 1 and asked, "Where is the illegal guy?" They pointed at a disheveled young man 25 years old and led him through the same door to an inner room.

15 minutes later he came out with the two men, wagged his finger, rebuked them, and warned them lest they try again to infiltrate, and followed them to make sure they return to Bethlehem.

This time the parking place was occupied with Palestinian cars, among them an impressing Mercedes 300. Most of the inmates were already in the office. An exception was a little boy, proudly behind the steering wheel and using the horn for me. His mother sat besides him.

In the waiting hall only two  Arabic speaking gentlemen  were sitting. They were waiting for a friend.

There was a polite female soldier . She was asking if she could help me what I negated as friendly as she spoke.

Then came a "case". A younger man , tall, Hebro speaking, with a complicated Hebro letter from the Israeli police in his hands. In the letter he was invited for a day in March. He told us, that nobody had been there . Somebody had told him he should turn to Chaja Ofek and had given her number. He also got informed that there should be a session in the court.

The man had already a permit for going to Israel.  If he needed a second one or a new one - Idid not understand.

AnywAY-    he left us and came back, happily. After he had told the soldiers that he was already in touch with Chaja they had cancelled the letter.

On our way back we were passing Beit Humar (a lot of people on both sides of road 60 but quiet )

and turning in the street to Karne Zur. Return via Herodion, har Huma.

Translation: Yael Bassis-Student

7:15A border police truck stops two bicycle riders on the road going up to Kazir; the riders turn around and continue cycle slowly up the hill. The truck drives slowly behind them, and we follow them. Due to the slow drive we gave up our wish to see where the Border Police takes them and sped up.

07:30 Tura-Shaked checkpoint

When we arrived, 8 people sat in the waiting shed. Vehicles arrived and picked them up to work. Most of those crossing over come from the direction of Tura in the West Bank into the Seam Line zone. One person approached us with a well-known problem; He works as a painter and does some repair work in a school at Um-el-Rihan, as well as in Shaked and Hinanit. He showed us a special permit for that, which is about to expire within a month. Today he was told that he couldn't cross "Because you haven't gotten back last night, but since today is a holiday, I'll let you through" . He says that from time to time  he is told, out of the blue, that he can't go through and is sent to the DCO to renew his papers, despite the fact that his papers are valid! Usually it happens when there is no registration on his return from the Seam Line zone to Tura. He thinks that it comes as punishment for the fact that they are not listed properly. It has to do with the soldiers' handwritten reports, when the computer is down. Therefore he and others are listed not returning on the same day as when they went out. As stated above, this results  in their permits being taken away for a period of one month or more.

The trip to the DCO is a full day's event, at time the soldier is not there,  at other times he just went out and is about to return, :"wait, wait, wait" and at the end of the day they are told: "Go home and come back tomorrow".

08:10– We left as the herd of goats came closer to the gate from the side of Tura.

08:20 Barta'a-Rihan checkpoint

Daylight saving time is in effect at the Occupied Territories , same as in Israel. Passage time today is relatively short - 10 minutes.

There aren't too many people, corridors seem empty and the usual sounds are not heard.

Those coming out of the terminal holding, their belts, appear relaxed and no one complains of crowding.

We shouldn't ne mislead -  the occupation in its ugliness and brutality is still here.

08:45  We left.

Naomi Gal translatio

Etzion DCL, 14:10 PM: out of the DCL surges an old man looking puzzled. He says that he received an entry permit to Jerusalem to undergo surgery at St John Hospital and a permit for one of his two sons to accompany him, but it turned out that this son could not accompany him, so he asked for a permit for the other son. They refused. Without even explaining why. Shlomit spoke with officer R. who is always willing to help. The man was ushered in again and after a short while came out satisfied.  The son got a permit.

Young Christians asked for entry permits at Easter and did not get them. We inquired and were told that a representative of the church must call and ask for their permits. They called the representative, he spoke with a person at the DCL and the permits were granted.

An older man addressed us complaining that his equipment for building roads was confiscated. He worked on building a road funded by international donors given to one of the municipalities. For three weeks he has been trying to get the equipment back, to no avail. His lawyer’s appeals didn’t help either.

Palestinians we met told that this past week a thousand olive trees belonging to residents of a village near Gush Etzion were destroyed.

__._, _.___

Naomi Gal translatio

Etzion DCL, 14:10 PM: out of the DCL surges an old man looking puzzled. He says that he received an entry permit to Jerusalem to undergo surgery at St John Hospital and a permit for one of his two sons to accompany him, but it turned out that this son could not accompany him, so he asked for a permit for the other son. They refused. Without even explaining why. Shlomit spoke with officer R. who is always willing to help. The man was ushered in again and after a short while came out satisfied.  The son got a permit.

Young Christians asked for entry permits at Easter and did not get them. We inquired and were told that a representative of the church must call and ask for their permits. They called the representative, he spoke with a person at the DCL and the permits were granted.

An older man addressed us complaining that his equipment for building roads was confiscated. He worked on building a road funded by international donors given to one of the municipalities. For three weeks he has been trying to get the equipment back, to no avail. His lawyer’s appeals didn’t help either.

Palestinians we met told that this past week a thousand olive trees belonging to residents of a village near Gush Etzion were destroyed.

__._, _.___

Translator:  Charles K.

The photographs:

Curve 160 checkpoint in Hebron – small stones the children threw

Soldiers who came from the Jabel Juhar neighborhood (Area H1, which is supposed to be under Palestinian control)

Helmets sitting on the concrete barriers instead of on the soldiers’ heads.

The pillbox on Highway 60 at the Dura – Al Fawwar junction.

The sign warning it’s dangerous to enter Area A, soldiers alongside.

Yesterday a Palestinian youth was killed by live fire at the Dura Al Fawwar junction on Highway 60.  And today?!  Today everyone’s on alert, sad, with heavy hearts.  If you read the entire report you’ll agree with me that Edmond Levi is wrong – there is in fact an occupation!!!

What we did on today’s shift (tales of the occupation)

Meitar checkpoint

By 06:45 all the laborers had crossed and wait for their rides…the earthworks continue and the rubbish is still there.

Highway 60, Southern Hebron Hills

Khirbet Tawwani – The soldiers escorting the children walking to school from Umm Tuba arrive on time this morning.  The Palestinians have asked us to try to arrange for the children to be driven to school.  The Civil Administration representatives have thus far refused – we asked our attorney, Gabi Lassky, to write some letters.  We’ll see what happens.  The children have been walking to school with a military escort since 2004.  Wouldn’t it be easier to find the hoodlums from the Ma’on Farm and get rid of them?  They’re on privately owned land; cf. Talia Sasson’s report.

Zif junction – We see here for the first time the army’s heightened preparations – vehicles for dispersing demonstrations, Border Police vehicles and a squad of soldiers at the checkpoint – no one is crossing and there’s very little vehicle traffic.

Kvasim junction – Border Police soldiers standing under the pillbox stop a Palestinian motorcyclist, check him and release him immediately when they see us.

The junction to Kiryat Arba on Highway 60

Palestinian families own land beyond the gas station, below Mitzpeh Avichai and before Giv’at Mamreh – approximately 30 dunums.  For thirteen years they haven’t been allowed to reach their land and cultivate it.  Today, following coordination between the Palestinian and the Israeli DCO, they came with tractors to try to enter and work the land.  They reached the entrance gate; the Kiryat Arba security people didn’t let them through.  When we met them they’d already been waiting for three hours, trying every way they could to convince the Palestinian DCO to arrange things with the Israeli DCO, but to no avail.  We see the despair and helplessness in their eyes.  We referred them to Yesh Din.  They talked to M., from Yesh Din, in our presence; let’s hope something comes of it.

Hebron

We visit the teachers at the Cordova school.  The handrail of the stairs has been repainted…giving apartheid a festive air.  Again they request what we haven’t been able to implement …Hebrew classes…

The green apartheid fence on the eastern side of the Cave of the Patriarchs plaza sparkles in the sun.

Curve 160 – The occupation’s Rashomon continues.  A Palestinian stops us just before the checkpoint.  He tells us that five 9 and 10 year old children from the Assissiya boys’ school in Jabel Johar threw stones at the checkpoint.  In response, the soldiers entered the school and sprayed tear gas.  The teachers then closed the school; they’re now on strike.  An ambulance evacuated pupils who were injured.

We reach the checkpoint – the gate is open, three police cars and a military vehicle, senior officers on site – no one wearing a helmet, everyone relaxed, some drinking coffee, a few small stones scattered on the street.  We asked how many children were here – 50-100, they reply.   (We see almost no children and very few passersby).  The gate is still open; two soldiers walked into the neighborhood, stopped past the first grocery store and then came out.

What really happened?  You decide between the two versions.  On the basis of what I saw, I tend to believe the Palestinians.  One of the soldiers checks his iPhone to see whether there were reports on Walla or Ynet.

The occupation routine?

Translator:  Charles K.

Meitar crossing 

Three buses with relatives of prisoners, a new fence in the shed where Palestinian laborers wait on their way to the revolving gates and the fenced corridors that finally lead them to their work day in Israel.  Rubbish fills the parking lot; a stench rises from the valley of Hebron’s stream; the bathrooms are in an acceptable condition.  Never-ending earthworks move sand around.  Five trucks in line ahead of us.  One attractive Palestinian woman and a merchant are the only one’s crossing while we’re there – everyone says things were ok this morning.  But one person again complains he’s been blacklisted by the Shabak and can’t earn a living.

There’s nothing new under the sun – no horror stories, just the terrible ugliness and the a-priori demonization.

Routes 60 and 317  

Very few military vehicles.  Many red signs warning against entering Area A.  The cantonization system, inherited from South Africa, reducing the size of Area A, defining regions within it in order to expropriate all the rest… (that’s what happens under the influence of “the lords of the land”)

Hebron  

Five vehicles belonging to the Israel Electric Company are parked at the Kiryat Arba gas station for a briefing by DCO representatives before driving in a convoy to Hebron through the barrier at Giv’at Ha’Avot – they have a big job and “benefit” from military protection.  We didn’t ask what the job was.

The army patrol leaves Beit HaMeriva.  The remaining checkpoints are manned by the Border Police.  A Palestinian near Beit HaMeriva tells us about difficulties organizing family reunifications between refugees in Jordan and Palestinian citizens.  We asked him to call this evening to provide more details – we may be able to help.

The new apartheid fence next to the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Again we show this town’s horrors under the “bloodless” occupation that has made all its residents almost indifferent…

The only remaining evidence of Friday’s large demonstration at the Beit Haggai checkpoint are the empty tin cans the soldiers left behind.

An ordinary day’s little horrors.

Translator:  Charles K.

A’anin checkpoint, 05:55

[Photo:  Misty dawn at the A’anin checkpoint]

The checkpoint is open, residents of A’anin (on the West Bank) are already coming out toward the seam zone with their agricultural or employment permits.  Since fewer seem to be coming through (some also were not allowed through; they were sent back), the crossing permits issued for the olive harvest, which has ended, must have expired.  And in fact, based on conversations with people and the many appeals to us for help obtaining crossing permits, we get the impression that the occupier is, increasingly, severely limiting the number eligible for permits, particularly farmers who are kept away from their lands – their source of income, their pride, the essence of their tradition and their existence.

The seam zone is the area sliced away from the Palestinian villages by the separation fence that was erected in order to annex the settlements to Area C, under Israeli control.  Every plot of land in the seam zone belonging to a West Bank resident entitles the owner and their family members to X crossing permits so they can work it.  More permits are granted for large plots than for small ones.  Prior to the occupation and the fence, all members of the family could participate in the various farming tasks on the family’s land.  Today the occupier (who might – could it be? – covet the land for himself) makes it harder for the farmers to reach their land, whether they’re the land’s legal owner or their heirs (who aren’t the owners), or hired laborers.  Suddenly they find their permits aren’t renewed.  They are prevented from reaching their lands.  Why?  They’re not told.

That’s Fadi’s story as well.  He’s 34, was born and lives in A’anin, married with three children.  His 9 year old son fell from the second storey and received a brain injury.  We met Fadi last month at the checkpoint.  He said that for more than a year his wife hasn’t been able to obtain a crossing permit, that his permit is due to expire and he fears it won’t be renewed (and it wasn’t).  He asked for help.  The permits of his father and two brothers (they’re the only four people working the family’s land; the father is the legal owner) aren’t being renewed either.  Why?  They’re not told.  He went to the Palestinian liaison office (irtibat); they told him he’s blacklisted from crossing to the seam zone.  Why?  They don’t know.  He went to the Salem DCO, where he was told he’s blacklisted.  Why?  They won’t say.

We inquired at the Civil Administration (a military body that runs the lives of Palestinians in the occupied territories), and heard an interesting version:  his wife was caught going through the checkpoint with false papers (so it’s a punishment).  Fadi swears that never happened.  Another interesting version:  the quota of permits for his family’s land has been filled.  Fadi doesn’t understand.  Who could have received permits for his family’s land?  Only he, his father and his two brothers apply to cultivate it.  No permit had been granted or renewed for any of them.  Listen, he tells me on the phone, I can’t keep going to Salem; I can’t afford the taxis.  Nor do they tell me why I’m blacklisted.  Help me.

Shaked-Tura checkpoint  07:00

[Photo:  A section of the pedestrian fenced corridor]

A military ambulance is parked on the Tura (West Bank) side of the checkpoint, alongside a police bomb squad vehicle with all its antennas and devices and accessories.  We didn’t understand what was happening.  The soldiers were working calmly.  People cross as they do every day.  Lots of action when the checkpoint opens, but three-quarters of an hour later everything will slow down and the soldiers will start yawning.  The checkpoint is fairly small, occupies less than a dunum, but it’s bursting with coiled and straight fences, traffic lights, traffic signs, gates, sheds, concrete barriers, signs, canopies, people sheltering and more and more installations that aren’t really necessary, all crowded together, the evidence of corrupt planning, waste of taxpayers’ money and sheer stupidity - not necessarily in that order - crying out to the heavens.

Reihan-Barta’a checkpoint  07:45

At the checkpoint we picked up two women from the West Bank.  One had received a bone marrow transplant and was on her way to Rambam hospital for treatment; the other accompanied her.  We went through the truck inspection area.  One of the supervisors from the civilian security company running the checkpoint escorted us efficiently and politely.

Naomi Gal (translating)

Etzion DCL, 14:20 PM: three young men approached us, despair in their eyes. They said they make their living by selling vegetables. Today a truck loaded with vegetables they intended to sell was confiscated.  

A Civil Administration inspector stopped them and confiscated the truck and everything on it because they "were peddling without a license."

He agreed to release the goods to avoid spoil, and agreed that they themselves will drive the truck to Etzion, where confiscated cars are being held, so that they won’t have to call a tow truck that would cost thousands of Shekels, but he refused to release the truck itself.

We tried to help release the truck. We talked with the guy who confiscated the truck, but our and their attempts to persuade him were in vain. We called everyone we hoped could help and called Hannah as well.  Maybe because of her influence they agreed to release the truck on Sunday.

While we were there people arrived asking for entry permits. They were accepted at once and came out shortly after - satisfied.

 .

Translation: Yael Bassis-Student

14:10  Many vehicles at the car park. Apparently many people saw the sign stating that reception of people ends at 14:30  and tried coming earlier.

When we arrived we saw some youngsters coming out after receiving magnetic cards.

14:20  We were approached by an elderly person who told us that his wife passed away the day before and that his son is hospitalized at the Haddassah hospital in Jerusalem. He asked for a permit to stay by his son. His brother-in-law who came with him, asked too for such a permit to assist the father and replace him, when needed, by the sons' hospital bed. The father received a 3 days permit, the brother-in-law received non. Following many telephone call and faxes that came from the hospital, the brother-in-law was granted a week's long permit.