Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Wed 4.1.12, Morning
Translated by Charles K.
We entered through the Meitar crossing today as well. Not much traffic on Highway 60, but the traffic police are active.
Hebron
Only M., our driver, is asked for an ID card at the entrance to Kiryat Arba. Our attempts to present ours were rejected. We were told to park off to the side until the guard made a call to receive permission to let us in.
Giv’at Avichai is still there, 11 buildings and vehicles.
Most of the route was relatively quiet, many pupils in the streets (exams are underway and school ends early). We were really astounded to see the path marked in blue and white by the Trail Marking Committee (on the way up to the Cordova school). It was tempting to take it, but in view of the experience of our colleagues in recent days, we refrained.
Tel Rumeida – Golani soldiers don’t want to speak to us; they don’t really seem to understand who we are. We returned to the car. Two buses carrying Israeli visitors park at the entrance to the road; one of the drivers explains to the soldiers who we are: “They’re worse than Arabs,” with a wave of his hand.
On the way down we met a group from “Breaking the Silence.” They said they also want to go up the stairs to “Cordova,” and that it’s necessary to insist, to try again and again.
Many visitors in the area of the Cave of the Patriarchs – Israelis and others. Today, as it happens, the music comes from the muezzin.
A-Tuwani
We stopped at A-Tuwani, saw the excavations and mosaic Leah Shakdiel referred to, and Nasser showed us a calling card from a group called “Emek Shaveh.” It’s apparently headed by a person named Yonatan Mizrahi; we immediately saw on the internet that he deals with “Archaeology in the shadow of the conflict”: an effort to build bridges between communities. It would be worth getting to know them; maybe they can be useful.
Nasser is worried that if the excavations continue as planned his home may be damaged, and, of course, their request to be connected to a water line depends on the excavations!!
We visited the small museum and shop.