Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 10.11.10, Afternoon

Natanya translating.

15.00 Za’tara/Tapuach crossroads-

 The traffic flows and at the entrance of Huwwara are soldiers.

15.10 Huwwara –

 At the entrance to Nablus there is a flow of traffic but in the opposite direction exiting Nablus to the West, to Jerusalem, to the Jordan valley, etc. are about 50 cars mainly taxis. We watched the checkpoint from the ascent to Mount Grizim. From there we had a better view of the checkpoint and on the line of waiting cars.

15.45 Huwwara village.

At the Baqlawa shop on the main road of the village we were told that the army comes in to the village in jeeps and armored cars every few weeks and announce on curfew, the last one had been about a month ago. Mainly it is a day long and during this or before the army shoots into the air.

We were invited to drink coffee while we were buying baqlawa. Jamal, a 45 year old man from East Jerusalem from Ras El Amud tells us that he comes to Huwwara and Nablus to buy necessities. It is cheaper and there are local items from Nablus, Ramallah and Qalqiliya and also from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the emirates, etc. “Go there and you will see all the Israeli Arabs."  There are shoemakers, tailors and other occupations which one can no longer find in Israel. During Id el Adcha, the holiday of the sacrifice, the first day is a day of prayer and on other days Arab Israelis  come to shop and to enjoy. Jamal says he takes his wife and children to buy and enjoy themselves. If  his second wife will make peace he will take her too. And if not he laughs, he will have to go twice.

On our way to Habla we  met up with a traffic  jam which seemed to have been caused by a local accident. When we saw that we would not get to the gate in time we left for home.