'Anabta, 'Azzun, Deir Sharaf, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Jit, Jubara (Kafriat), Te'enim Crossing, Mon 13.6.11, Morning

Habla

The first five were already walking to work when we arrived.

07:08  The second five come through.  Inspection is rapid.  The female MP at the entrance carefully inspects all the bags and sacks, but does so quickly and politely.

The bus with children arrives.  In response to our question the driver tells us that summer vacation has begun but there’s a private school in Qalqilya that’s still open, and he’s transporting the children to it.  The MP enters the bus, takes the driver’s ID, inspects it quickly and returns gives it without him having to leave the bus.

Our acquaintance, the guard at the plant nurseries, arrives from work, and while waiting for the MP to notice him tells us that they’re again moving the fence near his village, Dab’a, located next to Alfei Menashe.  He’s pleased.

We didn’t really understand where the fence is being moved to.  Are they making changes to the fence that was moved only a year ago so that the three villages of Ras Tira, Dab’a and Khirbet Rashrash won’t be in “Israeli” territory, and be returned to the territory of the Palestinian Authority?  The new fence left many of the residents’ lands beyond the fence, and the land was annexed to Alfei Menashe.  Is it possible that this injustice is now being rectified?!?

07:45  The MP at Habla continues inspecting rigorously.  A father with two young daughters arrives in a horse cart.  The MP takes them out of turn to the inspection booth and then carefully inspects the cart and its contents.  At the same time, laborers continue to be quickly inspected, but there are still at least twenty waiting and, as usual, there are arguments over who’s next in line.

We have an interesting conversation with H., who operates the well – he has the same opinions as ours about the fence, the political situation and the political leadership.  He hopes that a Palestinian state will be declared in September, because:

“Still waters – don’t do anything, but if they’re set in motion they may overflow, which might be dangerous, but something will happen, there will be movement…”

08:25  We got on the access road to Alfei Menashe and turned onto the road to Ras A-Tira hoping we’d be able to see where the fence is being moved to, but we reached the yellow gate that blocks access and couldn’t see anything from there.

08:30  No laborers waiting at the Eliyahu gate.

08:35  As of now, it doesn’t seem as if the work on the fence at Izbat Tabib has advanced.  Are they waiting for a Supreme Court decision?

08:50  Via 'Azzun and Jayyus to the Falamya agricultural gate.

A flock of goats comes through the gate into the village without delays.

All the farmers must have gone through by now, and we didn’t meet anyone.

Back to Route 55.  We saw no military activity all the way to Jit junction.

09:20  A flying checkpoint has been set up at Jit junction, toward Tapuach junction, but we didn’t see they’d stopped any vehicles.

We continued toward Deir Sharaf, where we’d made an appointment with a Palestinian who S. is dealing with.  We had him sign documents, and talked.

10:30  'Anabta

No activity at the gate.

  (Jubara)  10:40  Te’anim gate

Soldiers glance at our banners waving in the wind and say hello.

Bulldozers continue their activity around Abu Hatem’s house.

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