Tue 8.6.10, Afternoon

We arrived at Haris at 15:30.

 The shops we used to visit in the past were closed as were most of the other shops. Few people were in the street. We stopped near one of the shops that were open and the owner invited us to come in. We got into long and hard conversation during which we inquired about the fate of the eleven young men detained by the army a month earlier and he told us they had been released, adding that the only reason for their detention was to enlist collaborators. As the conversation continued, he expressed very harsh criticism of the Palestinian Authority, emphasizing from time to time that whoever dared to speak against the Authority was bound to be arrested. He explained that ever since the Authority had been in charge of the order in the West Bank, life had become unbearable: corruption, unemployment and restricted movement inflict great suffering on the people. He compared the role played by the Palestinian Authority to the role played by the South Lebanon Army, claiming that Abu Mazen complies with all the requests made by Israel and the Americans. He told us he missed the time when it was possible to visit and work in Israel. Answering our question, he explained that the Hamas rule in Gaza is much better than that of the Palestinian Authority. "In Gaza", he said, "People eat and live, while here there's nothing. In his opinion, if elections are held, all the people will vote for Hamas. Throughout the conversation, which was almost a monologue, he was extremely upset and expressed desperation and anger at the Authority for what they had been doing to him and his family. When we asked him what he wished for the future he said he was not a religious person but he was sure that the end of the world was close. 

While we were talking, we were joined by another person who seemed more educated. He spoke English and he wished to know if we could help him. His problem concerned the demolition order given by the army for houses in the village. He said he used to build houses for his children near the road which is 2 kilometers away from road 5 but Israel refused to give him permission. We gave him the "Yesh Din" phone number [Yesh Din is an organization of volunteers for human rights]. 

We went on to Kifl Harith and Qira. The shops were closed and only kids and youths could be seen in the streets. 

We arrived at Jamma'in at 16:15. One of the residents, probably the head of the village council, had sent us a message on Sunday that the infamous obstruction that for almost 3 years had prevented the residents from getting to their fields and to the main road had been removed. 

A few months ago we were asked by the head of the village council and some other villagers to help them approach the army about letting them transfer at least agricultural tools. Now we intended to visit the council offices in order to hear more details about that issue and also to thank them for letting us know, but when we arrived there, the council was already closed. It turned out that they work until 14:00. 

In Einabus people told us about a fire set by the settlers of Yiz'har to the Palestinian fields in the region. (According to a report in "Haaretz" newspaper the settlers claimed that the Palestinians were the ones who set fire to the fields of Yiz'har.) 

We have more details now and according to what we were told some 25 skullcap wearing settlers had gone down from Yiz'har to the villages of Einabus, Urif and Asira and set fire to fields and olive trees. We were shown traces of the fire up the hill between Einabus and Yiz'har and pointed at large metal cubes that the army had put on the roofs of some of the village houses (those closer to Yiz'har), in which there was equipment that tracked down everything that was going on there. With the army close tracking, we were told, there is no way that anyone of the villagers would attack or set fire to Yiz'har, as much as he wanted to. We were also told that at the time of the fire, the army arrived some 15-30 minutes after being called. It would be interesting to know if the case was investigated. 

As far as the regular problems of the family are concerned, H. was disappointed that his daughter, this month again, hadn't succeeded in visiting her husband, jailed in Beer Sheba. In the last 5 months she had been trying unsuccessfully, to get permission to see him. 

Following Silvia's advice, he was given the Humanitarian Center phone number, so that his daughter would call and talk to them directly to ask for visiting permission. Sometimes this way is more beneficial. 

On our way back at the end of the tour, we could see from the main road the passage that had been opened near Jamma'in. It was really hard to believe that only 3 days before there was a high rampart of earth, sand and rocks thee. An additional passage from the village to the road, a passage that was blocked after the residents had opened it on their own initiative for the transfer of agricultural tools, was now open.