Tayasir, Tue 17.5.11, Afternoon

12:50-15:30

12:50 Bezeq CP.We went through.
As we were climbing up to the Tyasir CP, a thresher was at work. Last week we encountered the same people harvesting and tying sheaves. By contrast – a group of soldiers is located near the road and another group is in the Wadi to the northeast of the road.
 

13:25 Tyasir CP
A taxi driver is waiting for his passenger. Near the upper post, there is a civilian truck with an apparatus for lifting people. Judging by the equipment on it, this truck serves for repairs or maintenance. Many pedestrians are waiting on the other side.

13:35 – The soldiers begin to let people through: "three at a time" and then "come on". A Minibus with pupils goes through quickly without any delay. We had many sweets for children but the driver did not stop. Trucks loaded with bales of hay go through to the west with no delay. A white private car is parked on the east side of the CP. Two people are beside it and we could not understand why they had to wait. Their IDs were in the hands of the officer. We asked at the DCO. Gili answered that they know what this is about and the matter is being taken care of. We understood that these people belong to the Palestinian police, and that even if we understood the Arabic perfectly, I doubt if we could know why they were being delayed.

A taxi driver tells us that from time to time in the morning (7:00-8:00) the soldiers make a point of delaying teachers. "If they see me talking to you – they make trouble". He also tells us about a taxi that he saw waiting at the exit of the CP when he passed on the way to Tubas where he picked up passengers; when he returned the same taxi was waiting at the CP.

14:00 We left. When we left there was no traffic on the road.

14:15 A tractor is parked on the other side of the 'arm' of the Guchiya CP.

14:25 Hamra CP
There is a new flag replacing the old ragged one. The wind is hot and dry. Four or five officers (captains) apparently reservists, are standing with their backs to us. In front of them, on the bonnet of a car, they have an open map. One of them turns pages which, at a distance, look like pictures taken from the air. They are having a discussion, pointing to distant places; it seems that all of them are explaining at the  same time, and nobody is listening. Perhaps they are planning the exercise for which we saw soldiers taking places in the field.

In the meantime, there is the CP routine of cars and taxis going through in two directions. Minibuses and large buses with workers are beginning to arrive. The taxi passengers that get out for inspection are returning their belts to the trouser loops. Two cars with yellow license plates (Israeli) arrived from Area A. Two religious officers – captains - got out of one of them, glanced into one of the posts on the road and left together with three Yeshiva students who were sitting in the back seats of the car. The other car was a truck with a load that was not clear.

15:00 We left.

15:10. A jeep is parked near the Guchiya CP. We did not get out. The tractor is gone. We hope that he got through and went on his way without any further delays.

We left the sweets near three Bedoui encampments.

15:30 Bezeq
No questions.
The Valley is faint with the heat.