'Awarta, Huwwara, Shomron Crossing, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 31.10.11, Morning

 Shomron crossing 10:30 -

Crossing is unimpeded. We put the flags on the car.

Tapuach 10:40 –

Two soldiers at the checkpoint. No cars. Farther on we saw a long line of vehicles coming from the north. We didn’t see vehicles being delayed.

Huwwara 11:00 – 

Many shops are closed. A police car parked at the checkpoint, a policeman standi next to it. Light traffic, no delays.

Awarta 11:20 –

We still see people picking olives along the roadsides. No checkpoint at the entrance. Residents tell us that settlers from Itamar tried to keep them from picking olives but the IDF intervened to prevent interference.

Beit Furiq 11:50 –

No sign of damage near the grand castle at the entrance to the locality, but residents told us about youths who tried a few days earlier to set fire to the garden behind the building and throw stones at the lights in the courtyard. The courtyard is locked and we can’t see it. The brother of the castle’s owner lives opposite; the youths set a taxi on fire there and damaged one of the rooms. No one was there.

Later addition 14:00 – We just heard on the 2 PM radio news about damage to a tomb that’s “holy” to Jews, in the Awarta cemetery. It wasn’t clear to us who did it, and why the residents didn’t tell us about it. Maki spoke on the phone the next day to the head of Awarta’s local council. It turns out that local youths did it, the slogans and pictures were erased and they’re trying to minimize the importance of the incident.