'Anabta

Summary

We drive on our shift today, reaching out beyond the Green Line to the land that should be Palestine, with a feeling of release from the ghetto that Israel has created for itself. Not only are we reminded of the courtesy, generosity and kindness of the Palestinian people and of their long suffering, but we’re reminded too, of the liberation of the Egyptian people from their own despot and of the fact that, although we’re against Occupation and all that this “regime” of ours stands for, overall, we are still super-privileged compared to anybody else in the Middle East. But the world begins, slowly, to understand that governments would do well to stay close to activists and civil society in general, not just on moral grounds but on pragmatic grounds too. Without an established opposition, demanding social justice as well as liberty, there can be no progress in a democracy. And the Palestinians that we talked to, of course, had their own take on the situation.

12:30 -- at the nurseries, greengrocer and Gate 1392 on the Separation Barrier

What we heard here about Egypt was a variety of comments regarding Mubarak’s lengthy despotic rule, the lack of human rights and freedom of speech in Arab countries, including the Palestinian Authority, much about government control of events and television as well as “what’s it got to do with me?” -- the last comment from a young man waiting for Gate 1392 to open. He has two young children and so much wants to get a permit to work in Israel, instead of at the nurseries here, but to no avail.

The army arrives - two Hummers and six soldiers, who seem to be new and not accustomed to working here, at 12:55. The soldiers have to contend with opening the gates at the Separation Barrier where there are deep rain puddles, and it’s very hard to get the gates to open widely enough; there is also thick reddish mud which the Palestinians, donkey and horse carts, cars and the huge school bus, bearing the children home from school, have to cross. Only the large flock of sheep, their coats coated and tangled with mud, seem not to mind, but nor do the waving palm trees borne atop a pickup truck.

Azzun

We try to talk to a variety of people there, but all we heard was about everything being fine, or even “wonderful,” and from one man, “Sure, all is well for me, I have a work permit for Israel.”

Deir Sharaf

It’s a long while since we visited the Huwwash Brothers. It’s a long time since there was a checkpoint at Beit Iba! We are amazed and delighted to hear one of the brothers now talking English; “we work with China now, and they speak English…” The work is no longer just the beautiful Arabesque carpentry work of before, but a huge, literally huge, glass business, and the oversize hangar is filled with large crates of sheets of glass, which, we’re told come from Turkey as well as China. So, here is an example of a changing and successful economy, something we’ve read about but not witnessed for ourselves.

In Deir Sharaf, we learn that since all people want change, what’s happening in Egypt is not unexpected, and things are likely also to change in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, etc. Some say that 30 years for Mubarak is enough, others don’t believe that he will go.

Shavei Shomron

We next ride up Route 60 to Shavei Shomron to view the non existent checkpoint of yore, and note the large swinging yellow gates that can still be called into action. The offending military base is now well hidden from view, the gap in the wall filled in with yet more concrete and a slim, locked metal door in its midst.

Anabta

A few, but very few signs of the spring to come and just glimpses of red or pink midst the lush green undergrowth plus a checkpoint that allows for freely flowing traffic.

Jubara

Nobody trying to leave the OPT, we go to one of two open checkpoint positions, and the soldier asks why we stopped there and not at the other, but the second soldier joshes him, as if telling him to shut up.

15:30 Irtah

Not many Palestinians going into the terminal building, and the guard calls over to us, “Watch?” As we leave, a large busload of men and women brings them back to the terminal parking area where the driver tells us, he picks them up each day at 5: 30 to go to pick citrus fruit in orchards near Ramle.

Salit

An article in this week’s Haaretz magazine, 4.2.11, on Tzur Yitzhak, where an entire town of tall buildings is being built, alongside the Palestinian Israeli town of Taibeh, which has nowhere to expand, piqued our curiosity. We drove up a hill to view this phenomenon, built on lands that once belonged to Taibeh, confiscated from residents in the 1950s and 1960s. Not only that, it’s clear that the town has been planned along the eastern seam line in order to blur on the ground the Green Line that is largely erased from Israeli maps. It’s not difficult to discern that this town, albeit west of the Green Line, is part of Israel’s paranoia, an attempt to strangle Taibeh. “They build for the Jews and demolish for the Arabs.” Driving up beyond the massive new residential buildings, more suitable for a city than a pristine rural area, leaving the town of Tzur Yitzhak behind us, we came upon the peaceful moshav of Tzur Natan, more or less on the Green Line, from which a beautiful, well lit and paved road leads in another kilometer or two to the settlement of Salit, set atop a hill with a fantastic view east, south, north and the west from which we had come. Without missing a beat, we had left Israel and were, once again, in Palestine, in the OPT.   

Since Leora and Tamar were back after having been absent for a while, and they’re less familiar with this region, we decided to visit them, and I was very happy that my granddaughter wanted to join us.

We men Nadim about 14:00, reached the Jubara gate at 14:45, and after a few minutes during which the soldiers sought authorization, one arrived and opened the gate for us.

The village was taking its afternoon nap, everything closed and quiet.

15:00 

We came to the children’s checkpoint, No. 753, where we men a few male and female soldiers who tried to get authorization for us to go to the villages beyond the checkpoint.  After waiting a long time we gave up, returned the way we came.  While we drove we explained about the places we passed, some of their history and what changes have occurred since we were last here.

15:45  

We reached the Anabta checkpoint, apparently deserted, as usual, but soldiers stationed up in their emplacement, observing, traffic flowing without stopping.

From there we drove via Beit Lid, Kufr Sur, Kafr Jamal, Jayyous – you should know that these roads are being worked on and there are changes.  From there to Azzun [a few hours before the pogrom that occurred there] via Nebi Elias.  We went through the Eliyahu crossing (109), where traffic flowed freely, sometimes more slowly, sometimes faster.

We passed the plant nurseries and in a few minutes reached the Habla checkpoint which was already open, with about 30 people waiting on line.  Some had already entered.  This was the first time Tamar and Leora had been at Habla.  The sight was disturbing – the checkpoints, fences and razor wire.  

Around 18:00 we started going home.

The end.

Translation:  Suzanne O.

General:  due to Palestinian complaints we went to Ramin in the Tulkarm district, close to Anabta roadblock.

We met with the head of the village and other residents to hear about the barrier and its influence on their lives.

We drove there in Nadim's car to find out about the complaints that have been received lately by our colleagues.

At the beginning Nadim took us to see the blocked road leading down from Ramin which is 1.5 km long in the direction of Anabta Junction (Einav).  It is located between Shavei Shomron and Anabta (Road 57), about 200m away from Anabta roadblock.  We made a u-turn back to the roadblock.  It is the short road which was at their disposal up to 2001.

Anabta roadblock

10:25 a.m. 

All cars leaving from Tulkarm and the surroundings were inspected at the exit.  We counted 15 cars in the queue.

On our way we drove onto a narrow and winding road about 12km long from the roadblock to Ramin.  The road is not marked on the Carta map or on the 'Shalom Now' map.

This is the alternative, winding road over the hills which the residents of Ramin use these days to get to Nablus and Tulkarm.  It has been like this since the second Intifada in 2001.

Raminis located at the top of the hills with a beautiful view.  On the way we pass a splendid villa and a huge building in progress which looks like a hospital or a hotel (?).  We alighted from the car at the town hall.  The mayor, Abu Shadi, and representatives welcomed us cheerfully, coffee was prepared for us.  With the help of Ptachya we were able to understand precisely what the residents said.

The village has two entrances and every incident or terrorist attack is used to close the roads to the village.  Since the second Intifada the main road leading down to Anabta roadblock has been blocked by earth and stones.  Near Road 57 (which passes Anabta) the road has been cut off, and a deep channel has been dug at the end to prevent access to Road 57.

The inhabitants continue to walk down the path with its continuous obstacles to Road 57 and from there to catch taxis to Tulkarm or Nablus.

The interesting point is that they are not inspected and that it does not cause a 'security problem' at all.

All the blockages of the other villages in the Tulkarm district have been removed, apart from the road to Ramin and the road to the village of Shufa.

The problems that the blockage causes:

• High cost of petrol (an extra NIS5 for each journey) and time.  The road is very winding, narrow and dangerous.
• 70 students from Ramin are forced to journey back and forth to El Najah every day, as are merchants and those working out of the village.
• It is difficult to get to the agricultural lands by tractor and with agricultural tools.  Their lands are located on the other side of Road 57 in the direction of Einav and at present they have difficulty in reaching them.

Up to now all attempts to remove the blockages have failed.  They approached the Palestinian DCO which approached the Israeli DCO where they were turned away with 'security arguments', "because terrorists come from the village".  People from the "Red Crescent" came, checked them out and did nothing.

People from the European Union came to write a report six months ago, but nothing has happened.

Do we still report deceptions?  They made their requests calmly and we fenced about our ability to change anything.

Military patrols in the village

Military patrols are carried out often in the village to catch youngsters.  They are invited to the Israeli DCO in an effort to 'work with them'.  Anyone who appears weak is threatened with denial of certificates.

Wild boar

The problem of wild boar was raised again; they were brought in by the settlers and freed to cause damage in the groves and to frighten the villagers (the pig is unclean in Islam as it is in Judaism).  They told us of an inhabitant who was attacked by a boar.  It is particularly frightening for people walking back in the evening from the roadblock.

That is the time the boars are out and about.

Translation:  Suzanne O.

General:  due to Palestinian complaints we went to Ramin in the Tulkarm district, close to Anabta roadblock.

We met with the head of the village and other residents to hear about the barrier and its influence on their lives.

We drove there in Nadim's car to find out about the complaints that have been received lately by our colleagues.

At the beginning Nadim took us to see the blocked road leading down from Ramin which is 1.5 km long in the direction of Anabta Junction (Einav).  It is located between Shavei Shomron and Anabta (Road 57), about 200m away from Anabta roadblock.  We made a u-turn back to the roadblock.  It is the short road which was at their disposal up to 2001.

Anabta roadblock

10:25 a.m. 

All cars leaving from Tulkarm and the surroundings were inspected at the exit.  We counted 15 cars in the queue.

On our way we drove onto a narrow and winding road about 12km long from the roadblock to Ramin.  The road is not marked on the Carta map or on the 'Shalom Now' map.

This is the alternative, winding road over the hills which the residents of Ramin use these days to get to Nablus and Tulkarm.  It has been like this since the second Intifada in 2001.

Raminis located at the top of the hills with a beautiful view.  On the way we pass a splendid villa and a huge building in progress which looks like a hospital or a hotel (?).  We alighted from the car at the town hall.  The mayor, Abu Shadi, and representatives welcomed us cheerfully, coffee was prepared for us.  With the help of Ptachya we were able to understand precisely what the residents said.

The village has two entrances and every incident or terrorist attack is used to close the roads to the village.  Since the second Intifada the main road leading down to Anabta roadblock has been blocked by earth and stones.  Near Road 57 (which passes Anabta) the road has been cut off, and a deep channel has been dug at the end to prevent access to Road 57.

The inhabitants continue to walk down the path with its continuous obstacles to Road 57 and from there to catch taxis to Tulkarm or Nablus.

The interesting point is that they are not inspected and that it does not cause a 'security problem' at all.

All the blockages of the other villages in the Tulkarm district have been removed, apart from the road to Ramin and the road to the village of Shufa.

The problems that the blockage causes:

• High cost of petrol (an extra NIS5 for each journey) and time.  The road is very winding, narrow and dangerous.
• 70 students from Ramin are forced to journey back and forth to El Najah every day, as are merchants and those working out of the village.
• It is difficult to get to the agricultural lands by tractor and with agricultural tools.  Their lands are located on the other side of Road 57 in the direction of Einav and at present they have difficulty in reaching them.

Up to now all attempts to remove the blockages have failed.  They approached the Palestinian DCO which approached the Israeli DCO where they were turned away with 'security arguments', "because terrorists come from the village".  People from the "Red Crescent" came, checked them out and did nothing.

People from the European Union came to write a report six months ago, but nothing has happened.

Do we still report deceptions?  They made their requests calmly and we fenced about our ability to change anything.

Military patrols in the village

Military patrols are carried out often in the village to catch youngsters.  They are invited to the Israeli DCO in an effort to 'work with them'.  Anyone who appears weak is threatened with denial of certificates.

Wild boar

The problem of wild boar was raised again; they were brought in by the settlers and freed to cause damage in the groves and to frighten the villagers (the pig is unclean in Islam as it is in Judaism).  They told us of an inhabitant who was attacked by a boar.  It is particularly frightening for people walking back in the evening from the roadblock.

That is the time the boars are out and about.

Summary
Today, the first shift of the New Year, we were in the OPT to uphold and continue our MachsomWatch tradition, to monitor and report on-the-ground realities but mindful, too, that we uphold the practice of opposition and dissent in a “democratic” state. The vilification of NGOs as legitimate critics who refuse to dehumanize “the other,” who refuse to be set apart from other countries, other allies and diasporas of Jews, as well as Arabs, will get us nowhere. As a key component of civil society, MachsomWatch will continue to respect and protect human rights, reporting hard ground truths and acting on behalf  of a more reality based, just and principled Israel.

12:30 Jubara
On the far side of the checkpoint, the yellow arm of the barrier is open, and that’s the barrier that makes of Jubara, once again, after so many years a “junction” where one can cross into Tulkarm (with permit or whatever) or continue on the apartheid road. Along that road, we are surprised to see that the fencing on either side, near Shufa, is coming down. Yes this needs to be repeated: although the metal posts are still up on the sides of the road, the wire fencing is no longer there. On the other hand, the wet, slippery slope up to the village remains as it has for years, and there’s no other way in or out of the village.

Anabta
Traffic moves in either direction through the checkpoint without stopping, but there are three soldiers who stand behind a concrete protective “shield.”  No soldiers visible up in the military lookout tower.

The fields and valleys around here begin to show specks of bright green, giving the countryside a fresh sparkling look. Springtime and hope usually go together, but reality soon breaks into this reverie:

Route 55
At the junction of Route 55 with the road to Immanuel and Ariel, near Fonduk, a jeep has stopped a Taneeb bus, parked by the jeep. A young man, looking crestfallen, is surrounded by three Border Police, his hands behind his back, meaning that he’s obviously manacled.

Gate 109 (Efraim)
A black settler pickup truck shows its annoyance at our presence by hooting and swerving by our flag bedecked car.

13:45 Habla
We’re early, or so we think, for Gate 1393 to be opened, but we’re wrong. Two Hummers stand by the side of the Separating Barrier, a group of five soldiers stands in the middle of the Barrier dirt path, there’s mud everywhere, and the gate(s) is open. Nobody around: why should there be? Soldiers don’t usually open early, and the usual time for the gate to open is still fifteen minutes away (14:00-15:00).

Grudgingly, the soldiers tell us, “Read the notice.” They nod to the Zim container “waiting room” for those who want to cross here. Stuck on one side is a piece of paper telling of opening times, in Arabic, although the numbers are not in Arabic but appear as follows:

7:00-9:00
13:00-14:00
16:45-18:30

When we ask when this change took place, we are met with stony silence, and these are reservists. One stands on side of the gate, gun at the ready, another stands at the other side of the gate, behind concrete protective “shield,” also with gun at the ready. But there are no Palestinians to train them on….

13:50 -- a truck arrives on the far side of the Barrier, the driver dismounts goes to the concrete checking booth, leaving his truck engine running, and a woman’s raised voice is heard from inside (unseen military policewoman, we assume). On our side of the Separation Barrier, a young man arrives, papers in hand, calling out to the soldier that he needs to give these, to do with his plant nursery, to somebody on the other side. The soldier won’t let him advance but takes the papers and walks over to the other side. The farce of all this….

On to this “mise en scene,” the Matak arrives in his white jeep. T., the captain, leaps out and immediately starts talking animatedly to one of the soldiers standing in the middle of the Barrier.

13:55 -- a Palestinian car comes by, a man gets out, shakes hands with T., gets back into his car and drives back in the direction of Habla.  Just now, a huge truck, laden with white, Jerusalem stone boulders, wrapped in bright blue cling wrap, inches its way past us to one of the nurseries near Route 55.

A Palestinian man arrives and looks for the sign telling him of changes of gate opening hours. Of course there’s nothing, hasn’t been for years, on the yellow metal sign on the gate itself. Who would think of looking on the side wall of the Zim container “waiting room”?

T. comes over cheerfully, extends his hand to us and talks of the change, which has been in effect only since this morning. Why? For the convenience of the school children, whose hours fit in better with this new arrangement, at least at this time of day. There will be problems for a day or two, he tells us, “but Palestinians can go to gate 109 if they come here and the gate is not open. I’ll make certain that works for them.”    
He indicates that he intends to tell all the plant nursery owners, and we wonder, aloud, why he isn’t in charge of all agricultural gates: “I have plenty enough,” he laments, and we, in turn, lament that he didn’t manage to tell Palestinian before this change took place.  

14:05 -- one of the soldiers comes up to T., who realizes that it’s past 14:00. The soldiers are anxious to close, the Matak drives off, and the soldiers make haste to do so too.

14:10 -- a woman and a young man arrive, shout at the departing soldiers who merely shout back: “Look at the notice” and speed off into the distance. We now call the Matak who indicates that he will return. But, meanwhile, we take the two Palestinians to Gate 109 where the Matak’s jeep is standing, and T., the driver, is on the phone, but nods to us that all is well, or will be well.

14:30 -- back at the nursery at Habla, one of the nursery workers pedals past on his bicycle, ready to cross the Separation Barrier. O., the owner, calls out to him in time to prevent H. going in vain to a gate that will remain closed until the occupying army decides to open it once more. Over hot, sweet fresh herb tea, our Palestinian friends let us in on the fact that, in Palestine, they have heard about what has ensued with MachsomWatch and its fellow NGOs in the past week. And we are glad to be there, in the warm sunshine of the Seam Zone -- for the rain is over and gone – for now.

Habla

06:45 – The gate opened on time. The team of reservists that are here do their work efficiently and treat the people nicely, but at the same time they check the cars, including the schoolchildren buses, thoroughly.

07:05 –

Two buses arrive at the same time.

A soldier escorts an old man to turn on the water in his field and then he returns to the village through the gate.

Deir Sharaf

08:15 –

The way to and from Nablus is completely open.

In the grocery store at the entrance to the village they tell us that the problems with wild boar are getting worse. They feed on garbage at the dump that is outside the city of Nablus.

At the village council where we visit, they tell us they have difficulties in getting enough of the necessary poison to tackle the problem. Each village receives a small quantity from the Authority after getting the permission of the DCO [District Coordination Office of the IDF Civil Administration that handles passage permits]. Last summer they put a negligible quantity on figs in the Wadi. The procedure has to be revised to make it easier on the people to cope with the problem.

On the day we were there, there was a strike in all schools in the region of Nablus because of an uncommon problem: The case of a teacher who had beaten a student in Beit Amrin was made public and the Authorities asked to take both the teacher and the principal into custody without first checking the case thoroughly. Both of them were released the following day. The teachers, however, called a warning strike. (Although it's not the field of issues we deal with, one can see a society that strives for improvement and progress and tries to achieve them democratically).

Ramin

09:30 –

The village lies on the mountains above Anabta checkpoint. The way to get there is long and difficult. In the past, there used to be a way for vehicles before the checkpoint, from which it was possible to go down to the checkpoint and to other places. This road has been hermetically closed, probably after the closure of the checkpoint and since then the village residents and especially the workers (about 200 of the village residents) have had to make a huge detour. We have talked to the council secretary, A. Z., the only person present in the building. According to him, there are villages, Beit Lid for instance, that have access to the road, which Ramin doesn't. they have turned to the Authority  and to the DCO several times but have been turned down.

Not long ago, during the Muslim holyday of Id al Adha, the way was open for a few days but then they rushed to close it.

In addition to that, the village has a large area of land beyond the checkpoint road but they are not allowed to get there freely. The man says that he himself lost two dunams of his land for the benefit of the checkpoint. They can use the old road only on foot, walk down and catch a ride. They get passage and work permits through the Red Cross.

We will check the problems of this village again thoroughly to see how they can be helped.

10:30 –

We leave on the way back home.

Translation: Hanna K.

14:50 Izbat at Tabib: We visited Sami on whose house there is a threat of  a demolition order. Joy of the poor in their abode: they prepare themselves for a family wedding.

15:30  Entrance toBeit Lid: A military vehicle and six soldiers near it.

Anabta:  We met a Palestinian whom we had to have sign a power of attorney for a lawyer, to enable him to enter Israel.  

We passed through Irtah, the village of Shufi & Jubara.

15:55 Irtah/Sha'ar Ephraim: Until this point we took photos. On entering we were immediately welcomed by the new signposts forbidding taking photos. The camera was put into the pocket, but this wasn't enough. The scout on the tower probably saw that we took photos before we came up against the signpost, and the man on the spot welcomed us. He asked to see the camera, we allowed this, and then all that was photographed a long time before was erased – as, according to him, the Artah\Sha'ar Ephraim passage was observed in the photo taken from the distant road. It was too late to argue: no photos were left. We toured the installation, the passage seemed routine  and returned to the entrance where we were asked by an Arab-Israeli driver to find out why the physician who was meant to drive with him to Israel (meetings were fixed for him and he might be late) was delayed at the exit gate. The driver looked at his cellular phone and saw that the conversation with the physician about the entrance to the gate was received at 15:15. The guard refused to talk to us. The man in charge announced that nothing of the kind had happened, nobody was there ten minutes ago. After a phone conversation he compromised and said he had meant twenty minutes, and he wasn't at all clear what the matter was about. A talk with the DCO didn't help either.

We left at 16:30 and asked the driver to try and get information. At 16:45 (an hour and half of waiting time) we were informed that the physician had arrived.  

13:50

Agricultural Gate Habla – reserve soldiers. Quite relaxed. So is also the stream of people who pass at this hours. At 13:55 a children's bus passes (a very perfunctory check), the soldiers, answering my question, said that the opening hours of the gate are: 06:30-08:15, 13:00-14:15, 16:45-18:00

14:15 Observation in the direction of Ras Atiya and Ras Atira and especially in the direction of the fences and  barbed wire batteries which surround the road of the defence system, guarding Alfey Menashe. There is nothing new…

14:30

Azoun on the way to Giyus and the agrigultural gate Palmiya

15:00

Palmiya Agricultural Gate while we were there one tractor passed

15:15

Beit Jamal, Kafr Sur and Beit Lyd: village which remind us how the Palestinian communities looked before the settlements were set up,  and with them the fences, the barbed wire and the army…All this on the way to Anabta.

15:55

Anabta CP the watch tower is manned but the cars pass to Tul Karem and beyond without hindrance.

16:10

Jabara Passage (Te'enim) – a very exacting passage (we were required by the soldiers to present identity cards)

16:20

Irtah Edge CP (Taybe, Sha'ar Ephraim) there are no people waiting to leave. Many people passing on their way home. The passage flows. Actually nobody presents papers.

Life under Military rule is depressing but lately is concealed even from the very alert eyes of the Machsom Watch members, so the report too is concealed from the eyes but not from the hearts. 

06.27  Habla

The soldiers open the gate and immediately move the Palestinians through.

06.31 The first group of five passes, and two minutes later the next group.

06.40  There is no longer a queue and only individuals arrive and pass quickly.  Apparently because it is Eid il Adhah eve few people are going to work.  Also the reserve soldiers are polite and efficient, which seems to have an influence on the woman soldier.

06.58 Ma’avar Eliyahu.  No Palestinian men waiting. Two women wait next to the checking fixture.

7.30    Farmers’ passage Falamiya.  The gate is open. A y oung man waits in the shade. He has not been allowed to pass although he has a permit and always passes there.  His permit is for gate 839 (Sal’it) but, with the DCO stamp, is added 927 (Falamiya).  The military police checked with the DCO and was told that he does not appear in the list.  On our request another check is made and, lo and behold, he is found in the list and immediately passes through. The military police apologises to us(?) and advises the Palestinian to go to the DCO to get a new printed permit.

The soldiers say that this morning many Palestinians passed to their fields and we, too, see all the time a steady stream of people passing although the olive harvest is almost done.

8.25    Opposite Kedumim we see a Hummer and a military ambulance and a number of soldiers. In general we saw few military vehicles but, in contrast, very many Palestinian vehicles on the roads.

8.35    We went on Route 60 to Shavei Shomron.  There, too, was heavy Palestinian traffic.  Reserve soldiers wanted to talk to us. They get instruction only on the particular checkpoint they serve on.  They are told that the big checkpoints have been dismantled.  We explained that, although the big checkpoints have been taken down, the obstacles to people to getting to their lands are just as troublesome to them and that there are still barriers to many villages.  The kibbutznik listened with interest and understanding; the other soldier still felt that the settlements protect Tel Aviv…

Stop for coffee in Deir Sharaf.

We passed the checkpoint at ‘Anabta to show our new members.  There is a soldier in the watchtower.

10.35      Sha’ar Efraim (Irtah) In spite of the late hour there were about 20 Palestinians outside the booth on the Palestinian side, pressing to the first carousel.  They say that they all have permits to enter Israel to visit relatives on the festival.  But they have waited more than an hour.  We phone the DCO and within 3 minutes the carousels open and they all pass.  We walk towards the exit gate and before we reach it the first people have already come through, with big smiles.  The joy is shared by us and the Palestinians and we wish one another ‘Eid said – Chag Sameah!

Summary
Each week, OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Occupied Palestinian Territories) issues a Protection of Civilians report -- the facts, nothing but the facts -- dry yet perturbing reading. Much of it we already know from our monitoring, but the detail, the numbers are particularly ugly when they stare into your face.  “Settler violence continues unabated during the olive harvest,” 17 as opposed to 11 incidents the week before; search and arrest operations, 80; ten stop work orders in Area C. And so it goes. Occupation as the seasons roll round again and again. Settlers stealing olives, attacking Palestinians but no mention of the roll of the Civil Administration that does, or does not, permit Palestinians to get to their groves or prevents a day of olive picking for no reason at all: three out of four days, indicated on issued permits for Deir Sharaf residents to pick olives below the settlement of Shavei Shomron.  The humiliation and harassment of the Occupation continue, season in, season out.

13:00-13:40 Habla Gate 1392
The gates open on time, and today they’re open wide, the usual array of donkey and horse drawn carts, big trucks, tractors, etc., waiting their turn on either side of the Separation Barrier as the soldiers – reservists --take their sweet time and often manage to find themselves in the middle of the Separation Barrier, doing nothing but talking to each other.  The local greengrocer’s oldest son talks to a soldier, who clearly knows him, in fluent Hebrew, but a few minutes later, the former has to ask, sheepishly, “Is it ok to enter?” There’s nobody else in front of him, there’s no reason for him not to go on to the Separation Barrier, but long acquaintance with the ways of Occupation have made the young Palestinian wary, even of a soldier who appears to enjoy a casual conversation with him.   
A Hummer arrives, revving its way nosily from where we stand to make a fancy turn about in the middle of the Separation Barrier, and then, it appears, delivers food and drink. The soldiers now stand and check Palestinians, or wave on vehicular traffic, or direct pedestrians to the concrete hut for checking with cold drinks (and, of course, guns in hand). Meanwhile, perched atop the other military vehicle already standing at the agricultural gate, are three soldiers, prettily arrayed on the hood, eating their lunch…..

13:30 -- a white pickup, with no military markings at all, arrives and from it appears a captain, who shakes hands with all the soldiers, as we hear one of them saying, “It’s the Matak (officer from the Civil Administration’s DCO office). Having greeted all the soldiers, K., such is his name, comes over to us and chats. He agrees that the morning pressure is terrible at Gate 1392, pointing out that it’s especially bad on a Sunday morning. (MachsomWatch should be there then). Later, we hear from the nursery owner that this captain, unlike many of his peers in the DCO, spends a lot of time in the field and tries to understand what is going on, or, as K. told us, checks on the reservists who may not know what they should be doing.

As we leave, music belches out of the Hummer, where the soldiers who’ve finished eating seem ready to take a siesta….

14:55 Shavei Shomron
We don’t succeed in getting to the checkpoint on Route 60. There is a long line of Palestinian vehicles. In other words, a checkpoint, a working checkpoint, is alive and well once again in this part of the world. But one has to ask why. A checkpoint leading northwards to Jenin, past numerous Palestinian villages and, yes, of course, the disengaged settlement of Homesh beyond. Trouble afoot there?  Who knows….
 
15:30 Anabta, not much traffic which flows freely

15:45 Jubara. After we’ve been asked where we live, “Shavei Shomron”? asks a soldier, and having received a firm negative, he calls over the commander, a young woman second lieutenant. Yes, a first. Never seen a woman in such a position in the IDF in all other years of monitoring with MachsomWatch. She, too, wants to know where we live and where we’ve been. Then opens the gate, and on we go to…

16:00 Irtah
Streams and steams of returning Palestinians cross the eternally too small turnstile, disappear into the bowels of the terminal, only to re-emerge quickly, on their way home. The cheeriness of the Palestinians, their warm greetings never cease to amaze us.
New signs, or new to us, adorn the terminal building and the fence at the Separation Barrier. Surely these signs are dedicated to MachsomWatchers: “Security facility. Photography prohibited.” So, a terminal building is made to sound like a prison… which makes us wonder if the “Welcome to Israel” signs are still posted inside, as they were when the building first opened.