'Anabta, Beit Iba, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Jubara (Kafriat), Te'enim Crossing, Thu 8.7.10, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Karin L., Gila P. (reporting)
Jul-8-2010
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Afternoon
Translation: Hanna K.

 

13:00 Agricultural Gate Habla
According to past experience we took care to arrive at the time of the gate's opening. But the gate was locked. From a conversation with the people who were waiting in the shed (which was recently put up at the side of the road) it turned out that two weeks ago the times had been changed – now the gate is open from 14:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 18:00. Although the change is for the better, it is very difficult to make a living when the time is measured so tightly. They would like the gate to be open during the entire day, from six in the morning to six in the evening. When we asked why they don't organize themselves, they reply: "We tried. But we didn't succeed". The corrugated iron shed does nothing towards relieving the July heat which, as is it's habit, weighs heavily in Palestine. It is therefore ununderstandable why the labourers arrived so early, if the new opening times are known to them.
Didn't they succeed in finding work? Is it possible that when the livelihood is unavailable, time loses its importance? Is it possible that compared to the daily hardships, sitting around idly in the heat of the day, doesn't make any difference?
 

13:25 Eliyahu CrossingGate 109 
We arrived from road no. 55. The cars drive in both directions without hindrance. We pass Azzun – the road is free.  

14:00 Al Funduq (in the garage)We arrived at Al Funduq to search for those who participated in the film "Area C" (the film was made by MachsomWatch activists).  We wished to invite the participants for the screening of the film which will take place at the Tel Aviv cinematheque on the 30th of July. One must obtain for them in time the necessary authorizations and to arrange for transportation.
Abed (the brother of one of the participants) wishes to know whether one needs a "magnetic", how many people there will be at the cinametheque, what one has to do there. Apprehension and hesitation can be read in his eyes.
A second garage worker tells us that he is prevented from coming. He is prevented from entering Israel for three years. He did indeed sit in prison, but not due to security reasons. At Al Funduq there is no work, he says.
The police arrives only to chase away Israeli drivers who come to repair their vehicle in the occupied territories.  Whence shall his help come – he can't make a living in Israel and not where he lives. He asks for help. Karin gives him Silvia's phone number.
 We drive to see Beit Iba. There is no sign of  the CP.   

14:45 Anabta CP
The traffic flows. We continue to Irtah. At the turning to Enav – there is police.  

15:00 Te'enim PassageKafriat
There is a long queue. An armed girl soldier. When we ask whether the Jubara gate would be opened for us, she answers: "I don't know whether the gate belongs to us." (what she probably means is that the doesn't know whether the gate is under her jurisdiction.) Now the armed girl soldier is busy. If we wait another five minutes she will find out whether there is a key. All around everything is calm, but still the military policeman says severely: "The commander now checks the event". We strain out eyes – lest there was something which we didn't manage to see. But no. It seems that our wish to visit Jubara – this is the event. We are asked to stop, here there and still again. A soldier asks for out IDs and immediately floods us with questions: "where do you come from ? where did you intend going? At what time did you enter road no. 55?" and in a more severe tone: "what are you writing?" (thoughts) "what did you do there? Who are you?" and now with raised voice: "what is this, MachsomWatch?" The soldier notes the ID numbers. He has difficulties deciphering our names. "what's you name?" he asks. We: " Does one takes the ID from everybody who wishes to visit Jubara?" The soldiers: "Every day. Every hour". We: "this was not done before". The soldiers: "there's always a first time!" (with such a determined declaration one can't argue). The ID haven't been returned yet.
Four soldiers, at least, try to find out whether is  allowed to open the gate. We: "you told us to wait 5 minutes and in the meantime 20 minutes have gone by. We have no more time. Please find out". The armed girl soldier shouts: "we did all this for you. If you don't want it – ok, then leave it
!"  And indeed we had to waive the visit. We heard that yesterday there were difficulties at the Irtah crossing and we wanted to be there when we returned home. At the last minute we notice a settler bearing an orange poster, in which it says "Congratulation to Machsomwomen on their contribution to the terror organizations". 

15:30 IrtahEfrayim Gate A civilian guard allows us to park at the parking lot (following a telephonic clarification). The labourers return without any checking, no checking at all – not a biometric one nor an identification by means of the  magnetic card.
It turns out that the afternoon checking was cancelled.
The cancellation makes one wonder – after all the checking procedure was introduced not long ago. It seems that regulations and their cancellation in the occupied territories are a kind of whim. The labourers, as is their wont, greet us cheerfully.  But more than one call out to us: "come in the morning. Balagan, balagan, balagan."    
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