Burin (Yitzhar)

 Translator: Hanna K.

The Ramadan has begun – the workers set out early for work, the shops open late.

06:20 Azzun Atma:A very long queue although not crowded. About sixty workmen are waiting for a long time. Many contractors are waiting for the workmen. All wish to begin working early because of the Ramadan fast. There is a large group of armored forces soldiers on the spot.They stretched a yellow ribbon on the ground in order to delineate the checkpoint area "to maintain order". One complains that our presence disrupts the "work" of the soldiers, while it is the military policewoman who does the work while the soldiers stand around with hands in their pockets.

We enquired about the opening hours of the agricultural gate. According to them all the area around the agricultural gate is a closed military zone and we are not at all allowed to be there. They open the gate three times a day "at changing times which are fixed by the DCO".

After most of the soldiers got on the vehicle and went away, we drove to the agricultural gate. The first gate was open.

06:40We reached the gate that leads to the earth track (near the tower) and it was locked with a chain. When we turned to leave the armored forces soldiers arrived and reprimanded us for entering a closed military zone (of course we didn't see any signpost saying so and they didn't have any document proving this). They tried to frighten us by saying that the Palestinians could throw stones, above the high fence, in the direction of the remote road, and we might get hurt. They asked us to leave the zone and told us about our friends who didn't want to leave a few days ago, and that they had to call the blue police.

There weren't any Palestinians who wished to pass through the gate, so we continued on our way. Later we phone the Qalqiliya DCO and talked to Kfir. He checked the matter and said thus: "this of course isn't a closed military zone. There are fixed times for the opening of the gate and the Palestinians are informed of this. This morning the soldiers were late in opening the gate because they were on a "security event". (This of course implies their argument with us). We asked him to have a talk with the armored forces soldiers and pacify them so that they shouldn't regard every Palestinian farmer as a security threat. We hope this will help.

 06:50 At the Samaria Crossing  the blue police stands at the exit from Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

07:10 Za'tara/Tapuah: There are no soldiers at the posts, not in the square and not in the post opposite. At the parking area thera is one military vehicle.

Burin/Yitzhar CPs: A military vehicle parks there and doesn't interfere with the traffic.

 07:20 Huwwara CP:The traffic flows as always. There are no soldiers on the way to the Bracha settlement, neither at the post opposite the hitchhikers station.

 Awarta: The yellow arm is still lowered and blocks the passage to Nablus.

 07:40 Beit Furik:  There are no soldiers at the CP and the traffic flows without any disturbance.

07:45 On the way back at the Huwwara CP there are no disturbances to the traffic.

 Burin /Yitzhar:  The military vehicles left and went to park opposite Beita, on the other side of Huwwara. The soldiers are of the Kefir regiment.

08:10 Za'tara/Tapuah:  The posts are still unmanned and in the parking lot stands the military vehicle.

 At the Samaria crossing: the checking is superficial as usual.

10:00 Za'tara

No soldiers were seen at any of the checkpoints on the roads. One military jeep was parked in the center space and some soldiers were standing there.

10:08 Huwwara,checkpoint

No soldiers in sight. The watch tower by the road to Elon Moreh was empty.

10:10 DCO Headquarters

We went to the DCO headquarters outside Huwwara to meet M. and talk to him about the events in Burin.

 On the morning of June 30, as M. sat outside his parent's house, he saw a white van on road 60, driven by a woman, stop on the road to the Yitzhar settlement. All the doors of the van were open - even the baggage compartment. Immediately, as the van stopped, 15-16 young men, with masked faces, jumped out of the van and the woman continued on into Yitzhar.  M. took his camera and in his car headed for road 60, where he could see the settlers.

Two minutes later an Israeli police jeep stopped at the road to Yitzhar; the men had disappeared into the grove of olive trees belonging to farmers in Burin. The policeman shouted to the settlers, "Go home! Go home." And then the police jeep left the area. M. was filming it all with his camera. The settlers poured gasoline on the trees and set fire to the grove. The fire spread to fields in the direction of Huwwara. By the time the Israeli firefighters arrived the fire had spread quite close to Huwwara. If the fire had spread toward the settlement they would have put it out; since it spread toward the village they did nothing. People from Burin had come out to stop the spread of the fire. They were pelted with rocks by the settlers who had set the fire. Since Burin is in Area C only Israeli police and firefighters can come to aid the villagers.

On July 15, a Friday, before the end of the midday prayers, the first group of settlers from Yitzhar  were seen 3 kilometers inside the lands belonging to farmers from Burin. The settlers began setting fire to the groves. Groups of villagers went out to put out the fire and were again pelted with rocks by the settlers. This time soldiers came to see what was happening, but did nothing to help the villagers or to stop the rock throwing. By 15:30 the fire was finally put out. This happened on the south side of the village toward Yitzhar.

That same day, as the villagers were struggling to put out the fire on the south side, settlers from the outpost, Givat Ronen, that is on the north side of Burin, came down to the fields of Burin to set a fire there too, at about 13;00. The villagers called to Huwwara for help, and also to the mayor of Nablus to send volunteers. Two cars of men came from Nablus to help. As on the south side, the settlers pelted the Palestinians with rocks as they put out the fire. They finally succeeded at about 14:00 or 14:30; more quickly than on the south side because there is a road on the north side and help could come more easily and faster.

As M. said, "We have nothing left to burn, except maybe between the houses."  M. had come to the DCO headquarters with a number of farmers who were putting in a formal complaint about the fires. We will try to follow up this story.

:00  Awarta

As we drove back to Huwwara we passed through Awarta and stopped to ask about the arrests made after the killing in Itamar. Our source told us that there are still 15 men being held, even though the murderers had been caught, supposedly.

In Huwwara we stopped to buy falafel and we saw a Palestinian TV cameraman and a reporter filming a demonstration of a few men with hand written signs urging the Palestinians not to buy Israeli products. Minutes later Nadim pulled into the gas station to fill up gas and there was a big Strauss Ice Cream freezer and a big, colorful sign advertising Strauss ice cream products.

Azzun Atma, Hawwara, Awarta and Beit Furik 21 July 2011

Translation:  Suzanne O.

Azzun Atma

6:30 a.m. 

There is no one queuing between the fences and many labourers wait on the road for the contractors who will pick them up to work on the Seam Line. There are many young officers around.  It turns out that today the armoured corps is replacing the girls of the combat engineering force.  I hope we won't regret the changeover.

Shomron Crossing

There is no inspection at the exit from Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za'tara/Tapuach

7:00 a.m. 

We didn't see any soldiers, neither in the positions, nor at the roundabout nor at the position opposite.  The car park is decorated with signs calling for the defence of the houses designated for demolition at Migron.

Yitzhar/Burin roadblocks

There is no military activity.

 Huwwara roadblock

7:10 a.m. 

The traffic flows.  Soldiers stop cars for inspection on the way up to the settlement of Bracha.

Awarta

The yellow barrier is still down and blocks the crossing into Nablus.

Beit Furik

7:30 a.m. 

The road to the village has been laid.  There are two lanes with a row of palm trees in the middle.  All around there are posters calling for support of candidates, apparently for the elections at the Nablus Office of Commerce.  (We were told that in Beit Furik two representatives of Fatah were elected).

At the roadblock there are no soldiers and the traffic flows unhindered.

back at Huwwara roadblock

7:40 a.m. 

We were pleased to see that someone appears to read our reports.

This time the lights around the roadblock and the deserted car park have been extinguished.

At the hitchhiking stop a soldier guards the settlers and another one guards the hill up to Mount Bracha.

Burin/Yitzhar

A military car is parked by a spot roadblock, but it doesn't hinder the traffic.

Za'tara/Tapuach

8:10 a.m. 

The positions are still unattended.  Military vehicles drive into the car park.  Will there soon be a random inspection?  We didn't stay to find out.

 At the Shomron Crossing we were asked, for the first time, to open the boot of the car for inspection.

Summer has arrived; there isn't even a trace of a traffic jam on Road 5. 

Azzun Atma, Hawwara, Awarta and Beit Furik 30 June 2011

Translation: Suzanne O.

The roadblock at Hawwara is open again.  The yellow barrier at Awarta is closed again.

Azzun Atma

6:35 a.m. 

There are very few labourers waiting in the queue and there are not a lot of contractors waiting on the road.  What has changed?  The roadblock is run by two energetic female soldiers (one of them an officer) who work efficiently and in good spirit.

Shomron Crossing

There is no inspection for those leaving Israel

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za'tara/Tapuach

7:05 a.m. 

There is a soldier in the position by the roundabout and two Border Police soldiers in the checkpoints.  The traffic flows unhindered.

Yitzhar/Borin roadblocks

7:10 a.m. 

There is no military activity.

Hawwara roadblock

7:10 a.m. 

The road has been laid and the traffic flows as of yore.  On the hill up to the settlement of Bracha soldiers hold cars up for inspection.

Awarta

The yellow barrier has been closed again.  We tried to speak to the Nablus DCO to find out why it is because of security now, whereas two weeks ago the road was completely open but the girls could not/did not want to speak to us.

Opposite Itamar a military vehicle is parked.  The soldier had no idea what was happening at Awarta: "It's not my area".

Beit Furik

7:35 a.m. 

At the entrance to the village work continues to widen the entrance road.  We are asked to stop by a Palestinian traffic policeman.  They wear blue uniforms and are polite.  They wanted to know what we are doing here.  We showed our tags and were sent on our way.

On the hill near the roadblock an IDF vehicle is parked but the traffic to Nablus flows unhindered.

On the way back to Hawwara

7:45 a.m.

We drove along to find out up to where the road has been laid.  At the roadblock, as noted, there is no one around but all the lights are on around the whole deserted site.  What will happen to the Security Ministry's budget?

Za'tara/Tapuach

8:05 a.m. 

Two Border Policemen are in the positions but the traffic flows.  One Palestinian car waits at the side for inspection of documents.  There are a lot of soldiers in the car park.  Are they off on weekend leave?

Shomron Crossing

:Lorries entering Israel are inspected. 

Translator: Hanna K. 

You won't believe it – Huwwara CP is closed for two weeks but for good reasons.

06:25 Azzun Atma:  A long queue of workmen. Nearly hundred people plod along patiently in the direction of the turnstile. The Palestinians say that they have been waiting nearly an hour. The soldiers on the site do not tend to talk to us. The wire gate is wide open, and from time to time Palestinians pass through into the village.

At the Shomron crossing there are blue policemen at the way out from Israel.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

07:00 Za'tara/Tapuah: There is nobody at the posts. There is an undisturbed flow of traffic. At the parking area a few border policemen group together.

07:10 Yitzhar/Burin CPs:  Two military vehicles are waiting.

07:15 Huwwara CP: Big signposts direct those travelling to Nablus towards the Awarta CP and at the entrance to the Huwwara CP there is a big plastic barrier and a big sign No Entrance. As we were with a guest, we squeezed through the narrow opening and entered the deserted parking lot to explain to her what had been there before. Within a short while a young soldier arrived to find out what we were up to. He answered our question by explaining that the Palestinians were repairing the road to Nablus and that was why the the CP was closed and all the traffic went through Awarta.

Awarta: The yellow arm is wide open and the traffic to Nablus passes through it. We used the opportunity and visited the deserted parking lot of the "back to back" without any feelings of nostalgia.

We phoned the DCO to ask about the changes. The young woman explained to us that the work on the road would last about two weeks and after that the yellow arm would again be closed.

07:50 Beit Furik: At the entrance to the village there is work being done to enlarge the entrance road (a clear sign that there will be elections soon). There is no IDF presence at the CP and the traffic flow without hindrance.

0800 :  Burin/Yitzhar: At the road margin one military vehicle remains and it seems that all its passengers sleep soundly.

08:15 Za'tara/Tapuah:  A group of border policemen at the posts. Cars are being checked. When we asked they explained that they are patrolling. They make a round of the area and from time to time arrive at the checking posts and surprise the drivers.

At the Shomron crossing the checking at the entrance to Israel is cursory as usual.

Translation:  Suzanne O.

Soldiers are on alert for settlers after the demolition of buildings in Alei Ayin.

Azzun Atma

6:35 a.m. There is a really short queue of labourers.  It appears that the commander took charge of the situation and put an additional soldier with those taking down the ID card numbers of those leaving, as an aide to the two Border Police in the cube.  He said that when there is less pressure they put the details into the computer.  Well done to that young man.

 Shomron Crossing

There is civilian police at the exit from Israel and a shortish queue of settlers at the entrance.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

 Za'tara/Tapuach

7:05 a.m. There are Border Police in the positions.  The traffic flows without hindrance.

Yitzhar/Burin roadblocks

Border Police inspect cars on the road to Huwwara.  On the opposite side, by the side of the road coming from Yitzhar, there are two military cars observing the traffic.  Are they waiting for the "cost tag" people?

Awarta

Unsurprisingly the yellow barrier still bars the crossing.  We have still not received a reply to my letter on the matter from the Central Command spokesperson.

Beit Furik

7:40 a.m. There is no IDF presence and the traffic flows unhindered.

Huwwara roadblock

7:45 a.m. The roadblock is deserted by soldiers.  The lamp posts around the old roadblock and the new one are blazing as if it is the middle of the night.  A soldier guards from his position opposite the hitchhiking station and another one is stationed on the road up to the settlement Bracha.

Burin/Yitzhar

7:50 a.m. The jeep parked on the road to Hawwara has left but the soldiers waiting on the road from Yitzhar are still there.

Za'tara/Tapuach

8:00 a.m. There are no soldiers at all in the positions on the road and the traffic flows unhindered.  At the side of the road leading to Binyamin (southwards) a group of Border Police chats to settlers.

Shomron Crossing

The inspection at the entrance to Israel is superficial as usual. 

Azzun Atma, Hawwara, Awarta and Beit Furik 19 May 2011

Watchers and reporters:  Shosh D., Esti V., and Nava A.

Translation:  Suzanne O.

A short shift with no sensational incidents.

Azzun Atma

6:30 a.m. 

There is a long queue of labourers (more than 50) winding around across the car park.  The soldiers tell us that there was a problem with the computers which, of course, does not help the people queuing.

One of the labourers requests help for his son who is refused entry to Israel by the Shabak and we give him a telephone number he can contact.

At Shomron Crossing the civilian police are at the exit from Israel and there is a shortish queue of settlers in the opposite direction.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za'tara/Tapuach

7:00 a.m. 

The positions are staffed by Border Police.  They do not inspect cars but their very presence interferes with the flow of traffic, every car slows down as it arrives at the position creating a queue at the top of the road.

Yitzhar/Borin roadblocks

There is no military activity.

Near the Hawwara roadblock roundabout there is a yellow sign in English and Arabic instructing Palestinian cars to turn right only.  Possibly it means that they are not permitted to go left in the direction of the Bracha settlement but what it means in fact is that they are not permitted to drive straight ahead in the direction of Nablus.  We did not understand it and photographed it and will perhaps send the photo on later.

Awarta

Unsurprisingly the yellow barrier still bars the crossing.

Beit Furik

7:40 a.m. 

There is no IDF presence and the traffic flows unhindered.

Hawwara roadblock

7:45 a.m. 

Deserted by soldiers.  There is a soldier guarding the hitchhikers' station.

Za'tara/Tapuach

8:00 a.m. 

There are soldiers in the positions and, from time to time, they stop a car for inspection.  A taxi is parked at the side waiting for the return of its passengers' documents.  A car waits because the civilian police in the car park have given him a fine.  The policeman was not prepared 'to infringe the privacy of a citizen' by telling us what the fine was for.  The Border Police were concerned for our safety as long as the car was parked in the car park.

At Shomron Crossing the inspection on entering Israel is superficial as usual.

06:50  Eliyahu gate

An army vehicle on the hill before the gate observes the road.

We saw Palestinians who’d already gone through the gate waiting for their rides.  At least thirty Palestinians are still waiting at the gate to come through.

A military vehicle was waiting by the roadside at Nebi Elias.

07:00  We drove to 'Azzun via Izbat Tabib.  We didn’t see any changes along the internal road where the army plans to erect a fence.  Children wait for transportation to school.

'Azzun is quiet and still slumbering.

07:10  Jayyus agricultural gate

At least four tractors carrying laborers go through quickly.

Two tractors with young olive saplings to be planted:  the female MP greets all the laborers with a “Good morning.”  She says she knows all those who go through here.

07:15  The soldiers begin closing the gate, but wait for a Palestinian riding up quickly on a donkey and let him through.

07:25  Falamya agricultural gate

Very few people are crossing.  But, since this is now the main road to Tulkarm, traffic is very heavy in both directions.

07:50  We leave

A poster at the entrance to Jayyus that we hadn’t noticed when we passed earlier refers to the Nakba, and is signed by the Jayyus municipality.  We saw no signs of the Nakba and asked Palestinians whether anything happened yesterday.  They said no. 

At the entrance to 'Azzun we saw signs that tires had been burned.

We saw a number of military vehicles by the roadside, watching the road.

The “Shvut Ami” hill is deserted.

08:10  Jit junction.  Soldiers at the Sara/Nablus side of the junction.  Taxis slow down, the soldiers look inside and wave a greeting.  We saw no cars stopped.

We turned right toward Jerusalem.  A soldier stopped us, looked inside and sent us on our way.

08:15  Two soldiers stand at the entrance to Yitzhar, apparently guarding the hitchhiking station.

A few soldiers and a military vehicle at the Yitzhar junction, but traffic flows freely.

08:25  Huwwara checkpoint

There is much traffic in both directions:  trucks, taxis and cars.  There are no soldiers.

The only soldiers are in the guard tower.  They come down to see who we are, and ask why we’ve come here.  We explain, and when we mention that we want to see “whether they’re closing the entrance to Nablus” one of them says, totally serious: Why should we block the entrance to Nablus?!?  Really, why…  And this entire conversation took place in the shadow of the ruins of the terrifying checkpoint.

We stop for baklava.  The guys are happy to see us, ask “Where’s Nadim?”

08:50  A military vehicle opposite the entrance to Beita.

More soldiers are looking into cars at the Tapuach junction, but not stopping them.

We continue homeward.

When we left today, we weren’t sure where we’d go and what we’d see the day after Nakba Day. 

We may have seen a few more soldiers by the roadside, but there were no other outward signs of tension.

Huwwara, for example, seemed cleaner and more spruced-up, with more shops and more new cars. 

Translator: Suzanne O.

There is a snap roadblock at Beit Furiq – security needs or collective punishment?

Azun Atma

6:30 a.m. 

A long queue of labourers (over 70 people) winds round the car park.  Each person leaving reports a different waiting time but they all complain about the length of the queue. The whole roadblock is run by female combat soldiers, and military police.  Instead of the improvised tent opposite the inspection cube a small concreted tower has been raised with an inflexible female soldier guarding inside.

At Shomron Crossing the civilian police are present at the exit from Israel and a long queue of settlers is at the entrance to it.

The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.

Za'atra/Tapuach

7:00 a.m. 

The Border Police in the positions do not interfere with the flow of traffic.  The lookout tower has disappeared from the Menorah roundabout.

Yitzhar/Borin roadblocks

There is no military activity.

Awarta

Unsurprisingly, the yellow barrier still bars the crossing.  On the way back we will try to contact the spokesperson of the Central Command again.  We have still not got an answer to our letter on the matter from three weeks ago.  We didn't get an answer today either.  (In the end they will probably write us that the barrier is against the Breslau people and not the Palestinians.)

Beit Furiq

7:20 a.m. 

There is no IDF presence at the roadblock.  However, at the entrance to the village there is an improvised snap roadblock.  Three soldiers have spread out spikes on the road and all the traffic is at a standstill.  Very slowly they inspect ID cards and cars wishing to leave the village in the direction of Nablus and do not permit those wishing to enter the village to do so.  Tens of cars wait in every direction.  The drivers who are far from the roadblocks are unable to understand the meaning of the stoppage and try to overtake.  Chaos ensues.  We made a number of telephone calls – the humanitarian centre and the DCO – but no one there knows anything about the activity.  As Israelis we overtook the whole queue insolently and the soldiers waved us across.  In the village we were told that a few nights ago children threw stones at the windscreen of a military vehicle patrolling the roads of the village and shattered it, they believe this is a kind of punishment.

By the time we left the village the soldiers had already disappeared and with them the queues.  Perhaps, because we telephoned, someone took the time to find out what was going on there?

Huwwara roadblock

8:00 a.m. 

Deserted.  Some of the perspex buildings have already fallen down.

In the town Huwwara a new Burger King has opened.  A sign of economic peace.  Three Border Police vehicles patrol the streets of the town.

Za'atra/Tapuach

8:10 a.m. 

The traffic flows unimpeded.  There are soldiers in the positions.  A military vehicle is parked in the car park.

At Shomron Crossing the inspection at the entrance to Israel was, as usual, superficial. 

Translation: Hanna K.

At the end to the report you'll find a good reason why one has to continue with the regular  shifts.

1350 Habla CP – Is open. There are soldiers at the CP. We saw the passage, after checking, of three of the village residents who left the enclave, a donkey with a loaded cart enters with its owner the village at the enclave.

Only today we notice the structure which is almost joined to the barrier,  on which there is a signpost in English on which is written that  donors from the catholic church had enabled the building of a well for the villagers' use.

13:55 Eliyahu Passage -   at the exit from Israel a truck is delayed at the police barrier.  On the other side there is a queue of vehicles wishing to leave for Israel.

14:00 Izbit Tabib – Road No. 55, after Nebi Elias and before Azoun, at a spot that doesn't appear on the Hebrew map,there is a turning to the right. Several villagers and people from Azoung wait for a meeting. Machsom Watch representatives have arrived.

We continued on our regular shift.

We drove from there on the road between Izbit Tabib and Azoun which is an internal road, parallel to road No. 55.

a  photograph will be sent, on which one can see two roads, the olive grove area between them  and the place where preparation work has begun  for the erection of  a fence, which will cause the olive trees to be outside the boundaries of the village.

14:40 Near the entrance to Kedumim a commandcar is parked perpendicular to the road – an observation post on the those passing on the road.

14:45 Jit Junction – we saw no soldiers

14:55 Burin/Yitzhar Junction on Road no. 60 – the CP is not operative

15:00 Huwwara CP -  there are no soldiers at the barrier. Large inscriptions are attached to the CP fence: " The law regarding the tomb of Joseph is the same as that  regarding the Hebron Cave of Machpela" – such inscriptions are attached without disturbance at the Za'tara CP aswell.

15:-05 Beit Furik CP – there are no soldiers at the barrier (the barrier at the entrance to the village which was described in this morning's report has been removed(

At the village of Awarta we meet one of the three brothers who have been arrested and released. He says that there are still 37 villagers detained.

A military jeep atthe village of Huwwara slows down the movement of the vehicles behind it.

15:25 Za'tara/Tapuah CP – in front of the CP there are many vehicles coming from Nablus and Ramallah.

We see 5 private vehicles detained at the CP where there are two border policemen. One of them plays with the cudgel he holds, in addition to the weapons he is carrying.

All the detained vehicles are checked with extreme strictness.

A private vehicle was detained when we arrived, and was released. While we were present at the CP other vehicles were detained and released.

We went to find out details about those who were still detained. It transpired that to some of the passengers their papers had been returned, and they are already waiting for two hours for return of  the papers of one passenger.

In another vehicle there was a driver who has been waiting for over an hour for his papers. A vehicle of the traffic police (!) arrives. The detainees who have no papers are summoned to the policemen and after some time the papers are returned to the two Palestinians who, as described above, had been detained. The policemen told the Machsom Watch member that they had been called to the CP about ten minutes earlier in order to check the number of the vehicle belonging to the persons without papers (one of which was just a passenger) for some clarification regarding the number of the vehicle: one border policeman told her that he had waited for the police vehicle to come and authorize him to return the ID cards of those persons. He said that he had summoned the police two hours before.

In any case, it seems that there is still need for us to document on the spot and on time.