Summary
Those of us who bear witness to violations of human rights in the Central West Bank know that there has been a marked easing of Palestinian traffic into the main cities of Qaqiliya, Tulkarm and Nablus. Today there's a paucity of permanent checkpoints, but the much less visible entrenchment of mechanisms of control over Palestinian movement grows apace. The Civil Administration runs all non-military activities of the Occupation. The Civil Administration today holds sway over Palestinian lives in Area C where the Occupier retains both full  military and civilian control. The Civil Administration is the main body responsible for implementation of the policy of house demolition for administrative reasons, i.e., lack of a building permit. And it is the Civil Administration that gives a permit for a Palestinian landowner to harvest his own olives on certain specified days during the olive harvest. Now, please read on.....

Deir Sharaf
The Musa family own large swathes of land, mainly olive groves, in the area. Years ago, the Occupier already cut down a large number of olive trees to build a "security road" around Shavei Shomron settlement at the settlers' request. Now, when the family wishes to harvest its own olives, it needs a "permit" to go to its own land. Another situation similar to the agricultural gate phenomenon. Moreover, much to our surprise, since, in the early years, we helped the family pick olives above the road leading to Nablus, today, we learned, the army has created a gate, allowing access to the olives groves only at certain times and, of course, only when the Musa family has a permit from the Civil Administration. The gate, so we learned, is open at 7:30-8:00 in the morning, then locked, courtesy of the Occupier, only to reopen at 3:00 pm, again courtesy of the Occupier. In other words, the family, its members and friends, and Israelis only if and when they have a permit from the Authorities, are locked in, and held captive midst the olive trees at the behest of the Occupier. There is little to add to this story except to say that we are witness to yet another kind of Occupation -- the "invisible" Occupation." But there's a postscript: those who are not settlers, but Israelis, will never be allowed to go there whereas the settlers keep an eye on lands that are, as yet, not completely theirs.

Qalqiliya
Unlike last week when the unmanned checkpoint was again manned, traffic flows freely today in both directions into and out of the city. We are surprised to find, on the way to the settlement of Zufim, at the barrier crossing, that the motley assembly of soldiers, border guards and military police, stare at our car, do nothing to stop our proceeding, question us not, and so we make our way to Eyal, preferring that rather than witnessing yet more new housing in the Zufim settlement.

Eyal
Here proof, not of the invisible occupation, but that the occupation is here to stay. A brand new seating area, a great improvement over the old Zim container at Habla and a wooden construction, still not completed which may, or may not be a kiosk to provide Palestinian workers with food infinitely more expensive than what they can find in Palestine. Large numbers of workers make their way from pickups, cars and transporters, through the turnstile to the building on their way home. At this time of day, no hold up.

Addendum
7:30 A call to the Musa family of Deir Sharaf which had a permit to pick olives from its own groves just below the settlement of Shavei Sholmron for today and the following three days: nobody, even those with permits, allowed to go to olive groves today. Reason: none. How do they know: The Civil Administration called the Head of the Deir Sharaf Council late yesterday evening.

As for tomorrow, inshallah!

Summary
Only lately have the media begun to call attention to the settlements as "the front line" of the Occupation. It's a complex system - profitable too - what with all the barriers, barbed wire and checkpoints built, rebuilt and taken down, invariably at or below settlements; segregated roads, constructed and constantly reasphalted, tunnels shaped under them for those who should never be allowed above ground, the Separation Barrier and/or Wall punching its way through Palestinian fields and olive groves. But at no time of year is the presence of settlements and settlers, their numbers exponentially multiplied since the Oslo agreement, so much in evidence as during the olive harvest when recurrent and systematic violence is heightened in the context of the olive harvest, and intimidation and denial of access become the purview of settlers as well as the army.

Habla Gate 1392
13:00 -- the gates are opened in desultory fashion, by reservists, one of whom carries his gun at the ready, who refuse to respond to our greetings or questions. Horses, people, bicycles, and trucks bearing nursery trees make up the many waiting on both sides of the Separation Barrier. A truck overloaded with products bound to or from a nursery has its cab thoroughly checked, and the two soldiers mosey around its sides, taking their sweet time. As the driver passes us, he leans over and hands us three guavas!

13:15 -- the school bus, this one bearing the Bedouin primary schoolboys back to their encampment outside the settlement of Alfei Menashe tries to get the kids home. But, no, the soldiers must get into the bus, check the ID of the driver and another adult inside, then make the driver open up all the luggage compartments of the bus, three on each side, as they peer intently into them.  The girls' bus comes by ten minutes later.

13: 30 Qalqiliya
A random check today of the former checkpoint lays bare the true face of Occupation. A police car in place, alongside a soldier, and the policeman checks a vehicle, coming from Qalqiliya with Israeli (yellow) license plates as many others of that ilk make their way out of the city.
Above, Zufim continues to show the true face of the settlement freeze: continuous building.

14:10 Mitzpe Yishai
This is a "newer" sub division of Kedumim where yet more private Palestinian land has been taken over by a company called "Kedumim 3000," another example -- says the website -- of an "expansive and flourishing neighborhood."

We have earlier found out that lending a hand to Rabbis for Human Rights, helping Palestinian farmers harvest their olives in "peace" would not be necessary after all, and that the morning "shift" there had trouble from the army, not the settlers. As is not unusual, a "closed military area" was announced. Our curiosity aroused, we still make our way to "explore" and find, on top of the steep hill, facing Kedumim, an unmanned checkpoint, with a barrier across it. Beyond, a bulldozer can be seen at work. Plenty of settler cars make their way out of Mitzpe Yisahi and wait at the sophisticated barrier with its metal obstacles that ascend and descend in the middle of the road, through some magic, or unseen hand until the barrier arm is opened up.  

Jit Junction
Another police car at the side of the junction, and a stopped car. We nevertheless make our way up to the village of Sarra and use the beautifully paved road, given by the "American people to the Palestinian people," a road which sweeps up into Nablus with a turning off, plunging down to Beit Iba, the former checkpoint which was, in the life of MachsomWatch observers several times built and rebuilt, but today, brings to mind the dusty back set from a Hollywood western.

Deir Sharaf
Since much of the olive harvest is already over, the olive press is working hard, filling the ugly yellow jerrycans with the beautiful smell of the green-gold liquid -- the first pressing of this year's olives.

Anabta
By now, no surprises: the checkpoint is manned, and we see soldiers from afar, but no line of vehicles waiting to be checked or not.

Jubara
We are afforded the same treatment here as the school bus at Habla, the luggage compartment, only one, has to be opened by us, but all four doors of the car opened by the military policeman, watched by a soldier clutching his gun tightly, twin image of the soldier pointing his gun at Palestinians crossing the Separation Barrier at Habla earlier in the afternoon.  

.  04:15We arrived a little late and saw there were already people on the Israeli side, so it must have opened on time, at 04:00.We went to the location at the fence where we could see the Palestinian side, and ran into three members of the EAPPI group, from Norway and Sweden.  They’re here for three months, living in Tulkarm.  They observe four checkpoints – Irtach, Eyal, Qalandiya and 300.  They say that the Irtach checkpoint is the worst.By 04:20 they’d counted 1,000 Palestinians crossing.

At the entrance to the crossing:  It’s very crowded at the revolving gate.  People pushing, and sometimes young men jump over everyone to the head of the line.  There was one incident where people were actually hitting each other; there are injuries, and police (the men show me their injuries as they exit).People go through the revolving gate quickly, about 25 at a time, men and women together.

At the exit area:  Only six booths out of a possible 16 are open for document inspection.  We tried to identify the bottleneck, but couldn’t.  Everyone coming through is angry at the line outside and at all the apparatus inside the facility they have to go through, as well as the “room”.  How many inspections are necessary? They ask.  And why isn’t this open 24 hours a day, like the crossings to Jordan? One woman asksMany, many people are waiting for their rides.

05:15-05:30  At the entrance:  People aren’t being allowed through.  No explanation, the revolving gates simply don’t turn.  It so happens that now it’s quiet and people wait patiently.  About 2,100 people have crossed already.The person who opens the revolving gates was relieved.  How did we know?  Someone suddenly yelled at us, “Machsomwatch get back or we won’t let anyone cross!”   We moved and the revolving gate opened.  Chaos began  again: young men climbing along the fence over the heads of the waiting crowd.  How can such behavior be prevented?We saw new signs – at the entrance and exit to the checkpoint:  “Security Installation – Photography Prohibited,” in three languages. 

We timed how long it took to go through.  A 50-year-old man went through in 17 minutes.  A young man, wearing a bold purple shirt, took 32 minutes.  Our international colleagues felt there were relatively many people crossing today.  Talking to Palestinians waiting for rides it turned out they were correct – the pomelo and tempuri orange picking season began today, and many laborers were hired.

06:10  3,300 people have crossed by now.

06:20  You can see the end of the line!  We didn’t believe we’d see it so soon.  The crowding was terrible till now.

06:30  The line ended.  About 3,600 Palestinian laborers exited here this morning to work in Israel

06:26  Habla gate – the soldiers are present, the gate is closed.  A blue and red flag waves in the breeze (the brigade flag?).  The gate opens at 06:30.  The first five laborers pass through in one minute.  The bus with the children arrived at 06:50, and immediately afterwards the second bus.  The first bus crosses at 06:55 and the second follows.  According to the night watchman at the plant nursery, the gate in the new fence at Ras-Atiya, which we know is seasonal, is closed and there’s no entry to the olive groves; as of now, no permits are being issued.  We drove there to see.
07:05  Gate 1360 in the new fence at Ras-Atiya.  It is, in fact, closed.
As we drive we see Palestinians riding donkeys, in carts and also on foot carrying sticks and blankets on the way to harvest olives.  We see people picking olives in many of the plots.
We drove to Jayyous and continued to the northern gate near Falamiya, arriving at 07:44 – the gate is open.  A Palestinian from Jayyous who spoke English very well and a Norwegian volunteer in his 50’s sat off to the side.  The Palestinian’s family has land on the other side of the gate and he has a permit to cross.  The Norwegian helps with the olive harvest, and lacks a crossing permit.  He’s not a member of any organization.  After telephoning for instructions, the soldiers don’t let him cross.  We tried to help by contacting the DCO and the International Organization– without success.  The Palestinian finally crossed and the Norwegian rode with us to Jayyous, to the olive grove of another friend of his.  Leaving Jayyous we stopped at an olive press belong to two brothers who proudly showed us their new machines that arrived only yesterday from Italy.  We dipped a pita in the new oil and tasted it.  Tasty!
09:06  Shvut Ami – An army jeep stopped and the soldiers climbed the hill.  Are they looking for “hilltop youth” in action?
Kafr Sara – the road is open.
Deir Sharaf – The road to Jenin is open.  We drove up to Sebastya, which was blocked by a steel gate.  Police and army at the junction.  It’s not clear what’s going on.  A policeman who came over and asked what we were doing didn’t answer our questions.  The owner of the café and bakery in Deir Sharaf said that the road to Sebastya is open, but from time to time it’s closed.
10:00  Anabta checkpoint is deserted, no soldiers.

If one is just observing this checkpoint without any previous knowledge one sees an orderly flow of young and middle aged men leaving a terminal and heading for a parking lot .  In the parking lot minibus drivers are trying to catch passengers in order to take them to such places as the intersection called Ga'ah,  Kfar Saba,  Petach Tikva, etc.  Hundreds of the men are sitting low on the curb of the road; or off in small groups in the parking lot; or standing near a small coffee bar or, if it is

. before sunrise, in large and small groups praying. Private cars come to pick up men as well
As Israeli citizens we cannot enter the terminal nor are we allowed to see the Palestinian side where thousands wait in line. It is the stories behind the scenes that make you understand the desperation of these men seeking to make a meager living in Israel from whatever work is available.

After arising early and leaving their homes these workers make their way to Eyal . It can be from as close as Qalkilyia or as far off as the Jordan Valley . When they arrive at Eyal they wait in line with thousands of others (4,000 people entered the terminal today from 04:00 – 06:00). The wait in line just to enter the terminal is about 45 minutes and then once in the terminal the wait can be from thirty minutes to an hour. Once out of the terminal there is the wait for a ride to work and the ride itself. Before even starting to work , they have already put in 4 hours of their day. Then starts the 8 hours or more of hard labor at work, and then finally the long way home. This happens day after day for the lucky cases where the person actually is allowed a permit and has work.

Here are some specific examples from today of times people left their homes and made their way through the checkpoint:
A man who left his home in Nablus at 03:00 started waiting in line at 04:00 and left the terminal at 05:45.
A man who left his home in Jayyus at 03:30 started waiting in line at 03:45 and left the terminal at 05:15.A man who left  his home in Sanniriya at 04:30 started waiting in line at 04:45 and left the terminal at 06:00.
We were told by the Ecumenical Accompanier who was on the Palestinian side that the  waitin line today outside the terminal was relatively calm although long because there were men from the Palestinian Workers Union who watched the lines and they are backed by the Palestinian Police. Last year when we could still stand on the Palestinian side there was often total chaos with people pushing and shoving, climbing on each other, and shouting trying to vie for a place in line.From what the Palestinians tell us, there is terrible tension inside the terminal because the lines move slowly and there is a feeling of disrespect and unnecessary checking. One day may be fine and the next they may be held up in one of the "rooms" for an hour. The "room" refers to where an extra check is required and that is done randomly.  The Palestinians say, "We have already gone through careful screening just to get our magnetic cards and permits to work in Israel. We have already proven ourselves. Why this day after day humiliation?" 

  

Unlike our circuits during the last few months through these places, this time we saw more people in the streets and got the impression that the people we spoke to felt less despairing and sad.

On our way toward Ariel we saw a large Israeli truck carrying bags of cement.

10:00  Hars – We stopped to speak with some people seated by the side of the road.  We’d already met one of them, a shop owner, a few times.  One of them told us that recently soldiers have been erecting flying checkpoints between here and Kifl Hars almost daily, stopping people, particularly the younger men, inspecting their IDs and searching them for weapons and explosives.  Sometimes they detain them for a while before releasing them.

We asked what was happening in the village about the olive harvest.  They said they intend to use the closure (our holiday) to work.  They told us that settlers from the adjacent settlement, Revava, harass them when they’re picking, especially one of the villagers whose vineyard is near their houses.  In response to our question, they said he’s in contact with one of the people organizing assistance to the Palestinians during the olive harvest.

Kifl Hars – We visited the owner of the clothing store whom we’d met on previous visits.  He said that his business, as well as that of other village merchants, is poor because the residents can do their shopping in the towns.  He was optimistic nevertheless, unlike in previous months.

Qira – On our way we saw some people picking olives.  We again entered “the women’s shop.”  The owner was busy with customers but recognized and welcomed us.

Continuing toward Zeita, on the left-hand side of the road we saw an excavation to lay a cable, apparently for electricity or phone.  Not water.

Jama’in – (Groups of people sit by the road there also)  We went into the local council building to meet the local council head or his assistant.  We were particularly interested to hear what was happening regarding the olive harvest, because most of the village lands are on the other side of Route 5, and in prior years, because of barriers erected by the army, the villagers weren’t able to cross with cars and agricultural equipment.

The local council head and his staff weren’t there because they were accompanying a group of visitors from the United States to a site in the area.  Some people joined us meanwhile, and the treasurer invited all of us to his office.  They intend to begin the olive harvest in the next few days, and in response to our question said that one of the residents is in contact with activists who assist them in case of harassment by settlers.  One of the local council employees told us that about a month and a half ago a settler named Simcha who was armed brought his flock of sheep down to one of the villager’s land, stole olives and purposely broke the branches of young olive trees.  He complained to the Qalqilya and Salfit DCO, and was told that if he has problems he should get a lawyer and file a complaint.  We exchanged telephone numbers, in case the harassment continues.

Another problem that greatly bothers them is the wild boars that come onto their lands, endanger them and also bring fleas.  That’s a big problem, especially these days when they try to begin picking olives before dawn and run into the animals.  The Palestinian Authority gave them 1 kg. of poison for the entire village, but it didn’t solve the problem. [Isn’t that dangerous for them and the environment?]  We promised to find out whether someone can help them.

Inabous – We stopped, as usual, at the second-hand store.  This time only one woman and a few children were there.  The eldest daughter still hasn’t received a permit to visit her husband who’s imprisoned in Israel.  She applies to the authorities as the beginning of each month, and has been met with refusals for half a year.  Her son who’d been imprisoned has been released.

Hol Hamoed Succot
It was pretty quiet; there was little traffic on the roads, hardly any army or police

Habla 13:40

We arrived 5 minutes early and there were two soldiers sitting at the
gate, the gates were closed and locked.  The jeep arrived at 13:55 and
then they opened the gates.  The two school busses and a truck were
already there waiting.  Very few Palestinians waiting to cross, the
soldiers did work promptly and the people passed.

  Habla

06:55 – The gate, which is supposed to open at 06:45, is still closed.  Two buses filled with children wait to enter the village.  About 50 Palestinians wait to exit behind the inner fence.

The soldiers standing next to the closed gates explain to us that the fault lies with the Palestinians:  they made trouble at the farther gates that opened earlier.  Some came to the wrong gates and some had the wrong permits.  Others argued and got into fights and delayed the opening of those gates.  That’s why the soldiers arrived late to Habla and the female MP’s who do the inspections still haven’t arrived.

07:07 – The MP’s arrive.  The first outer gate opens.

07:15 – The first bus approaches, after the driver went to and returned from the inspection booth.  Two soldiers enter the bus, walk through it and get off.  Outside they also check the baggage compartment. 

07:25 – The second bus moves and undergoes the same procedure, and we ask ourselves why the IDF cares who enters the Palestinian area of Habla?

The first five residents are inspected, the second five are waiting and there are already arguments among the others.

Eliyahu crossing (Agricultural gate 109)

07:35 – Two Palestinians wait there.

 Jayyus north

07:45 – The gate is empty.  Johan, the ecumenical from the USA, says everyone went through without problems.  We had a chance to speak to him and hear about his experiences during the past three months.  He said the soldiers were usually polite.  We also met two reservists, one with a Shakespearean beard that was impossible to ignore.  Johan says the number of exit permits for agricultural work on land belonging to Palestinians declined from 400 last year to 300 this year.  He mentioned Abu Is’am , an important public figure in the village whose permit was cancelled after many years.  They were told he’d become a security risk.Before the gate was closed, Fa’iz abu Na’il and his children returned from the fields with a pail of black olives, and he told us that hundreds of his trees had been cut down to pave the security road. 08:15  The soldiers close the gate but promise to open it for any latecomers.  But they drive to the southern gate; we also do so, on dirt roads, guided by Johan. 

Jayyus south  08:30 – Again we drive through the village, this time southward, and take a route where the security fence was to have been erected, and many olive trees had been cut down.  The fence was subsequently moved, and Johan showed us the shed erected by the landowner in a new olive grove he’s cultivating lovingly and with dedication.

The soldiers from the northern gate arrived at the same time we did.  An elder Palestinian passed with his donkey.  Then Stella, from the Ecumenicals, who was to have been at this gate, arrived and says that the mother of the Palestinian we had just seen is at home, dying, and she’d been asked by neighbors and members of the family to visit her.  The Ecumenicals have become part of the village.
 

 Falamiya  09:05 – Mustafa comes back from the gate with a pail full of olives.  A returning tractor pulls a wagon loaded with lovely guavas.  We see large areas of za’atar, but there was no longer anyone we could ask what they do with such a big amount.

Sebastya

10:10 – After driving through Kafr Tsur and Beit Lid, we got on the road to Deir Sharaf, and then north toward Shavei Shomron.  We looked for the checkpoint next to Sebastya.  We saw two concrete cubes by the side of the road, but the road was open.  Soldiers stood only next to the entrance to the army camp, but we didn’t see them stopping anyone. 

‘Anabta

10:25  We entered, drove around in the checkpoint area and left.  We didn’t see any soldiers; not in the tower either.

 10:40 – Te’enim crossingNo lines of people waiting to exit. What we did see, in Israeli territory:We saw an army Hummer parked facing east on the right side of the road, only a few meters from the junction with Route 444, opposite Taybe.  A civilian car with an Israeli license plate stood facing it, and four or five Arab villagers standing alongside with two soldiers checking their IDs.  We tried to understand what was going on, drove to the junction, turned around and came back.  The Hummer had disappeared, the civilian car was still there and the villagers climbed up the hill carrying sticks to harvest the olives.Is it possible that the army will stop an Israeli car in Israeli territory because the passengers might be there illegally?  Isn’t that the job of the police? 

Hol Hamoed Succot
It was pretty quiet; there was little traffic on the roads, hardly any army or police
Habla 13:40
We arrived 5 minutes early and there were two soldiers sitting at the gate, the gates were closed and locked. The jeep arrived at 13:55 and then they opened the gates. The two school busses and a truck were already there waiting. Very few Palestinians waiting to cross, the soldiers did work promptly and the people passed.