'Anabta, 'Azzun, Ras 'Atiya, Mon 5.10.09, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Alice F., Tziona S., (Reporting) Translation: Bracha B.A.
Oct-5-2009
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Afternoon


Ras Atiya

15:00 – A few cars and pedestrians are leaving or entering the village.  Everyone going out enters the hut to be checked.

A tender with several young men stops next to us when we arrive.  They are residents of Ras Atiya.  We ask how things are and they complain that the soldiers don’t behave nicely and point to the hut.  Every time they come to the village they are forced to be checked in the hut.

The soldiers come towards us and the sergeant, the checkpoint commander, asks us, “Are you from Watch?”  He announces that as long as we don’t disturb his work we can stand there.  Later he takes an interest in our “job”.  As long as we explain to him that our motives are humanitarian, he accepts it and announces that he is humane as well, but the moment that I brought up the word “occupation” he begins to shout.  Ah, you said “occupation.  “You see?  You are political.  You are left and I’m on the right side of the map.”  Alice asks why he has to stand here and he answers, “My home is here across the way, you see it in Tel Aviv, and I’m guarding it.”  A discussion develops about the issue of guarding one’s home.  At the same time they are polite and friendly towards those entering an exiting the village.  Possibly our presence has a positive influence on their behavior.

Azzun

The entrance to Azzun is blocked with a wall and stones.  Next to the roadblock are two Hummers belonging to the border patrol.

16:15 – Anabta checkpoint is abandoned.  Why was it  necessary to invest vast sums of money to build a checkpoint that would be abandoned after several months?  Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there is never enough money for security.  (But there is a contractor who pocketed a lot of money and the Palestinians also got a wide, clean, paved entrance to the village).  On the other hand, all the facilities have been left, so perhaps the checkpoint has only been abandoned temporarily.

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