Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Sun 6.6.10, Afternoon

Translation: Tal H.

 Tapuach/Za'tara Junction Checkpoint 15:00

Traffic unimpeded, no detainees, no dogs.

 Huwwara Checkpoint 15:20

The concrete pen once used to hold detainees and now overgrown with thistles is surprisingly litter-free. Someone has “robbed” this landscape of that kind of filth...

But the two graffiti inscriptions still embellish the quarry wall facing the checkpoint:

“Blessed be He that did not make me a Gentile” and “Na-Nach-Nachman...” (the Breslau Hassid mantra).

Throughout our presence, no cars were detained, no dogs seen, no Shabak-mobil (see the interview jeep of our previous report two weeks ago), and even the soldiers at the entry post to the empty car park did not play inquiring guards with us, for the first time. Which, let us not forget, does not make anything here more kosher.

On the other hand, every loaded half truck and lorry was sent back into town to take the longer route through the Awarta checkpoint, as the harassment apparatus would have it. Does anyone still remember the “security” pretext for sending trucks through Awarta?

The checkpoint commander – a friendly Nahalnik – approached us and wanted to know what we do here. The whys and wherefores. He was attentive and received a non hysterical historical review of the evolution of this checkpoint of his. He did want to see a written permit from the army for us to be here though. He heard there is no such document in our possession, and survived. A Border Patrolman who joined him in the middle asked us (he wasn’t hostile, another first) if we don’t think the checkpoint is greatly improved. We told him what we think about “gentle” suffocation and genteel humiliation.

 Beit Furik Checkpoint 16:15

No soldiers nor checks seen.

Widening and repaving works are being done on the access road to the village itself.

Warms the heart.

We chose to take a look at the nearby villages on our way back: Awarta, Hodala and Beita.

We arrived at Hodala just as a truckload of flour sacks was being distributed.

In Beita village, all the streets are lined with the various organizations’ flags.

There too the roads are being worked on presently.

Za'tara/Tapuach Junction on our way back – 
A line of cars waiting to proceed southbound, but not held up long.
One car being doglessly checked inside the compound.

17:00 We take our shame, cringing and nausea home to Israel.

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