South Hebron Hills, Fri 21.8.09, Morning

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Observers: 
Ofra and Na'ama (reports)
Aug-21-2009
|
Morning

Following a visit at some friends' in Um elHir, we left the village, encountering a rolling checkpoint – soldiers piled some heavy stones on the road leading to Um elHir and Ma'on settlement and detained two more cars, additionally to ours. When our turn arrived, one of the soldiers approached. When he saw the sign "MachshomWatch" he smiled and backed off, apparently not intending to check at all.
A minute later, an officer arrived and asked us where we come from. We said that we came from U'm elHir and he asked what we did there, to which we said that we've visited some friends. He looked at us bewildered and left. A few seconds later still, he came back and asked us the same question again. When we answered, he asked whether we are Jewish, to which we replied that we are. "Do you know the people at Um elHir are Palestinians?" he asked, his bewilderment visibly increasing… we said we do. "So what did you do there?" he persisted. We explained that Jews, too, can have Palestinian friends" to which he responded "I have Palestinian friends too, how's that relevant?" we patiently explained that friends are people you may visit at times which is why we went to visit ours… "But why did you visit them there?" he insisted. We explained that this is where they live, and he glared at us, incredulous. "Because they live here" we repeated our explanation "where else can we visit them?" he looks at us for a few more seconds, wondering, then allowed us through.

We circumvented the improvised CP, returning to the road and finding ourselves up against a settlers' car. We couldn't go back, because that checkpoint was behind us, so we signaled to the settlers, asking them to move backwards. They refused, of course, and begun talking to the soldiers.
In the meanwhile, one of them got off the car and turned to us "Dog!" he muttered at M., our driver. "Bitch, daughter of a bitch! Traitor! Assisting Arabs! Terrorists' collaborator!" he muttered at me before we managed to shut our window.
The occupation routine goes on. All's as usual.