'Atara, Qalandiya, Wed 9.5.12, Afternoon
Translator: Charles K.
16:00 The discriminatory signage at the turn to Atara: Halamish – Tel Aviv, Talmon – Ateret , whatever doesn’t belong to us doesn’t exist, and I can’t get used to it!!!
And right at the exit from Highway 6 – the “Ein Ner” spring. Apparently another spring has been expropriated
.
Vegetables and caged birds at the turn to the Dothan checkpoint.
The checkpoint isn’t operating, there’s not even a flag flying from the pillbox and no one emerges to chase us away.
Heavy traffic of all kinds of vehicles, their passengers waving to us happily.
The bird seller doesn’t speak Hebrew. The vegetable seller says that a police officer comes, loads up a generous quantity of fruits and vegetables, without paying, and returns again the following day
.
On our way back, the entrance opposite Ofra to the villages of Silwad and Bitin is open to Highway 60. Last time the yellow bar had still blocked the way up and all traffic drove on the detour, the lower road. We drove around the village briefly and exited toward Qalandiya.
17:30 A big traffic jam along the wall from Qalandiya to Jerusalem. The southern plaza is very congested, everyone’s blowing horns at each other. The booth at the entrance to the vehicle crossing is manned, and a police officer on duty also directs traffic
.
17:34 Two pens are operating, full of people; three fenced corridors within aren’t very crowded. People are directed to the corridors like cows on their way to milking…
Two vehicles in the parking lot have been turned into cafes where the taxi drivers pass the time.
Traffic to the north flows freely; the gate in the A-Ram wall is open, relieving the congestion. It’s not clear why, but a long time ago we stopped trying to understand the logic of how this place operates.
17:52
Each of us in her own pen came out after about 5 minutes.
17:57 Three fenced corridors are open, about 15-25 people waiting on line in each. They’re let through in threes – order must be maintained.
18:18 We exited.
On our way to the car we saw the gate was open to the security road along the wall.
Border Police soldiers are deployed in the Sheikh Jarrah area. Today is Lag B’Omer, a festival for the Jews.