'Azzun 'Atma, Tue 7.4.09, Afternoon

  General:  The first day of the Passover holiday blockade (until 18.4).  Light traffic.  An updated hagaddah is being written at ‘Azzun ‘Atma. 

17:30  ‘Azzun ‘Atma

Even before Hamdan stopped, three workers from the stonecutting business stopped us with their complaints.  Three days ago the owner of the business and some of the workers were prohibited from going to work.  They became “Prohibited by the GSS.”  As a result, work stopped and the employees were very upset.  We called Miki Fisher who, of course, knew all about it and had already spoken to everyone involved.  On Sunday the GSS will examine all those who have been prohibited.  Miki promised them to follow it up and intervene as much as is possible.  They wanted us to put pressure on everyone involved.

 

A fortified emplacement has been installed at the checkpoint for the soldiers.  “That’s for the transit point being built here,” the soldier told us.

Workers return, ready to stand behind the temporary steel pole the soldier placed on the ground to create order.  All speak Hebrew fluently.  One addresses us in …Yiddish… (I couldn’t understand, but Miriam translated).

And then Yusuf from 'Azzun arrived.  Smiling, takes out a business card, “Gardener.”  Yusuf wants to bring his car to the plant nursery on the other side, where a friend will replace the window, but the soldiers don’t allow it.  He begins to recite a poem he wrote, entrancing us all:  the soldiers at the checkpoint, the workers coming in, and us.  Everyone’s smiling. 

Here’s the poem written by Yusuf the gardener:

 

The occupation

Leaves me in despair.

You can see on my face

That I’m sad.

I stand at the checkpoint

Because this is where I live.

But I’m also in favor of peace

I don’t want it to remain a dream

The police say I’m dangerous

But I’m a very loyal man

I never stole anything

Wherever I worked.

I was a faithful gardener

To the residents of Kiryat Ono.

I’m opposed to the fence

And say to the soldier:

Don’t tell me “Go back”!

I’m in favor of peace

But the fence won’t bring peace.

I don’t care who does

Whether Bibi or Tzipi

Whether Abbas or Hamas

Just let it come:

Peace, peace, peace.

 

The soldiers, of course, didn’t allow Yusuf to bring his car over to repair its window.

And, in the spirit of the Hagaddah, Egypt is here.