Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Wed 11.11.09, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Sansana
We’re there at 6:40 but see no laborers in the sleeve
. On the way back we see two buses carrying relatives of prisoners. Everything is ok this morning.
Route 60
Almost no traffic on the way to Hebron – the National Highway Company is carrying out roadworks, accompanied by security personnel. A police jeep waits below Atni’el to ticket Palestinian vehicles using the road.
Hebron
The pillbox which stood opposite the “Ashmoret Yitzhak” Border Police base, on the way to Giv’at Ha’Harsina, has been removed. Maybe it’s unnecessary, because there’s a checkpoint on the Tzion route in the Kafisha neighborhood.
No detainees on the way to the checkpoints in Hebron.
When we park at the Pharmacy checkpoint we notice a car driving terribly fast by the boys' school. This is the hour when children cross on their way to school – the car goes past three times and A., the school janitor, is very concerned for the children’s safety. It turns out that Anat Cohen is driving – she parks her car right next to our Transit in such a way that we’re unable to open the door and get in. She sits in her car and curses us. A, the school janitor, asks her to be careful of the children, but she replies that they’re disobedient. We refrain from speaking with her, and the soldier who’s there doesn’t intervene.
We decide to leave and she again parks her car right next to us so we can’t get in. We finally are able to drive away; she passes us and drives slowly in front of us – staying very close. Michal almost calls the police when their squad car arrives and stops us. They ask us to avoid a confrontation with her, but detain us. Meanwhile the new Hebron police commander arrives and we introduce ourselves – Anat has already fled.
Since the police commander is new, and since we wanted this time to avoid confrontation in order to have good relations with the police over the long term, we decided to accede to their request, and didn’t continue our shift.
Again it’s been proved that, with hooliganism and force, she manages to pull the wool over the eyes of the police – she got what she wanted.
We left Hebron. The failure of the Israeli police to prevent such violence does not redound to its credit.
On our way back we stop to express our support for a demonstration of local councils from Bedouin localities in the Negev.