Etzion DCL, Thu 15.9.11, Afternoon

The Lieberman road, "Eastern" Gush Etzion, Beth Fajar, Etzion DCL, Har Gilo, Wallage

14.00 – 17.30

We were told that there is now a new (or renewed) CP near Ein Fajjar on

the other side of the Etzion roundabout so we decided to go and see it. We drove along the wide and beautifully paved Lieberman road and proceeded to the area of the Beth Fajar stone quarries. Instead of turning left towards Efrat we kept on driving south along the road thinking that maybe the new CP might be there. At the turnoff towards the settlement of Maale Amos stood a military Jeep. We asked the soldiers if they know anything about such a CP but they claimed this is not the area they are assigned to. Out of curiosity we decided to drive to drive towards the settlement. On both sides of the narrow road were small Arab villages but our attention was drawn by an area that was filled with rubble of demolished houses. We had no idea what this is and there was no one to ask. Next time we will bring a camera along and photograph the scene. We did not drive all the way to Maale Amos and returned to the main road and from there to the Etzion DCL.

Etzion DCL:  there were six cars in the parking lot but only two people in the waiting room. One claimed he had been there for three hours waiting for his wife who was inside. The other one stood by the turnstile for fifteen minutes but no soldier appeared in the window. We called and were cordially answered that the man who said he was waiting for three hours did not say the truth since his wife has not been inside more than half an hour. As for the other man, a soldier was sent to the window and the man who came for a magnetic card was let in. The time was four PM and there was no reason to stay on since this being Thursday, the DCL was about to close.

We decided to go to Wallage, not to visit any of our friends but to see how the building of the wall progresses. On the way we entered the Har Gilo settlement of which the older part has modest houses surrounded by trees were as the new part has enormous villas and an abundance of new housing projects.

Entering Wallage we were struck by the enormous size of the wall that was built between Har gilo and the village. We have not seen anywhere such a tall wall which looms over the village houses at the entrance. Further on we could see the progress of the wall along the village houses. It seems soon the whole place will be surrounded and the inhabitants will be imprisoned.

We returned quite depressed through the Ein Yael CP.