Etzion DCL, Hussan Junction, Zur Hadassa CP. Wednesday 23.2.2011 PM

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Observers: 
Orit Y. Ruth O. (Reporting)
Feb-23-2011
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Afternoon

 

Duration: 13.30 – 16.30 pm

Etzion DCL: the walls along the road between the tunnels and the checkpoint are constantly growing.

There were ten cars parked in front of the DCL but no one in the waiting hall. A group of men was standing by the entrance to the Shabac offices. The place has changed since we last were there; walls and a ceiling are protecting the turnstile a few meters in front of it. Now the people who are waiting for the "Captains" don't have to stand in the rain or under the scorching sun. We asked the people how long they have been waiting and one of them said that it was about an hour. We also met at the parking lot three Bedouins from the south. They come from across the fence near Kibbutz Lahav, all speak excellent Hebrew. One of the men is the chief of the tribe whose son had become a "Manua Shabac" (not accepted by the General Defense Service) a year ago, for no apparent reason. Now he cannot work in Israel, as most tribe members do, hence the very good Hebrew. The father came in order to try and take off the predicament from his son, this being the nearest place where he can talk to the Shabac.

We continued north on road 60 and stopped at the Hussan Junction where the yellow taxis wait to drive home returning workers. Below the taxi stand one can see the route where a road was planned to combine the villages Hussan, Nahalin, Beitar etc. with El-Hader and from there to Bethlehem. The road has never been built and the place serves now as a junkyard for the building waste of the contractors who build Beitar Illit (see picture). While we stood there a Palestinian came up and told us that during the last night the army had cut down 300 grown up olive trees in the village of Jabaah. He said this was shown on TV. Is this true? Does anyone know about it?

We decided to continue west and visit the Zur Hadassah CP, which we seldom go to. The cars (only Jewish) go through undisturbed. Once in a while, a truck is being inspected by a combined force of military and customs authorities. A policeman who also stood in the CP told us that there is quite a lot of smuggling of goods and building materials going on.

We returned via Bar Giora and Ness Harim. We have to report about the beautiful blooming of the almond trees with the background of lush green along the way.