'Azzun, Beit Iba, Children's Gate (Agricultural Gate 753), Habla, Jit, Jubara (Kafriat), Mon 14.6.10, Morning
06:30 Habla. The gates 08:00 We left. According to the soldiers, the gate will remain open until 08:30. We passed Azzun, via Funduq and Jit. There are no signs anywhere along the road identifying the Palestinian villages we pass or through which we drive. We got out of the car to ask their names. 08:55 We drove via Beit Iba toward the location where the life-saving checkpoint once stood. It’s no longer there, and we can’t feel any difference. A few businesses have since opened along the road, including the two quarries. The road through Beit Iba to Sebastya, Jenin and Megiddo is under construction, so it’s blocked starting from the army camp (who’s the road being built for?). 09:35 (After Nava Moses called us to tell us about a checkpoint at the children’s gate). We arrived at the Jubara checkpoint. The village is surrounded all along the road by a high fence. A female major willingly opened the gate for us. The children’s gate was open and manned. The soldiers say the checkpoint is open 24 hours a day. They hadn’t heard about a police checkpoint, nor did we see one. Cars went through after showing permits. A woman went through, and a skinny, short youth, who looked to be 15-16 years old, was detained off to the side because he’d been in Israel without a permit. He was released after about a quarter of an hour. 10:10 We left.
are closed. A soldier wearing a yarmulke sits quietly off to the side. He answers that they’ll open the gates only at 6:45. At 6:45 exactly the three gates open and people, some riding a donkey or a horse, some driving a cart pulled by a donkey, pass through the checkpoint. One of the carters is stopped and not allowed through with the number of crates he has, mostly containing tomatoes and cauliflower. They argue with him about the quantity; he says it’s food for the workers in the plant nurseries. He finally gives in, returns with fewer crates of vegetables and goes through.