Shomron Crossing, Thu 9.9.10, Morning

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Observers: 
ESTI W. AND NA'AVA A. OBSERVING AND REPORTING
Sep-9-2010
|
Morning

Translation: Hanna K.

07:15 Because of the holiday and the closureinfo-icon the barrier is down. There are no soldiers and no Palestinians.

How will those who live on the other side of the fence enter the village? Their problem…

07:25 Shomron Crossing

Because of the holiday and the Ramadan we set out later. The gate is empty in all directions. Along road Haim Landau eastwards, there are tens of bicyclers who enjoy the fact that the Samaria settlers don't drive during the holidays and the Palestinians have no reason to get on it.

07:40 The road to Marda is open as is that to Zeita and Jam'in.
We saw that the road which goes up to the villages has been paved, and decided to try and go through them on the way to Huwwara. On leaving the main road there is no sign forbidding the entrance for Israelis, so we drive up securely and safely. On one of the crossroads we "chat" with a local lad (both of us don't speak Arabic and he doesn't know Hebrew) he is very courteous and identifies us as "Arab Israil". Otherwise what business to we have there? All around there is a building boom and many stone quarries.

We crossed Huwwara from the west and joined the main road. The small town is slowly waking up for the eve of their holiday.

The Yitzhar and Bourin CPs are not manned.

08:00 Huwwara CP: 

A reduced shift. There are no soldiers at the post near the parking lot, and the Nahal soldiers at the CP also check the vehicles of the Israelis entering Nablus. The DCO is present. According to him since the "price label" events during which the adjoining fields were set on fire, no exceptional activity of the settlers has been observed. The posters proclaim that the continuation of the freezing is the beginning of the uprooting. Amen to that!
 
It is still early (in Palestine the winter clock is already in effect) and the traffic is very sparse. There are not Border Policemen around.

08:55 Beit Furik.   At the CP as usual one doesn't see any soldiers. Only the roar of the generator bears witness to their presence at the top of the pillbox.

09:00 Awarta: The iron pincers completely block the passage. One doesn't see any soldiers. We honked and got the attention of the soldier at the post. He has no idea why the passage is closed and how trucks will enter Nablus (today is the eve of the holiday, and many sheep have to be slaughtered). We called the DCO Nablus and the soldier girl there didn't even know that the CP was closed. (this has of course nothing to do with the closure as this is an internal CP). She promised to find out and to call me back. I'm still waiting. When I'll hear from her I'll report.

09:25 Za'tara: Few cars pass in both directions.

09:45 Shomron Crossing: At the entrance to Israel there are only us and the bicycle riders. At the entrance to the territories Border Policemen and Blue policement check the papers of Israeli Arabs and cause a long queue which includes busses of hikers. We were unable to understand who hikes in the territories during the holidays when their leadership is in the synagogue.

We expressed to the bored guards our astonishment at the fact that checks are performed on leaving the country and not on entering it (security) and they didn't understand about what entrance we are talking.

A good year and may we have a lot of rain. This at least is good for Jews and for Palestinians alike.

  .