Hamra (Beqaot), Tayasir, Tue 29.5.12, Morning

Translator:  Charles K.

11:45  Bezeq checkpoint. 

We crossed.

Hot.  Dry.  Hazy.  Alon Road– oops!  The gate at Gochia checkpoint is lying on the ground.  The concrete block to which the gate was attached has been upended.  People who passed by said they don’t know who dismantled it.

12:15  Hamra checkpoint

The two large garbage bins were moved to the northwest corner of the junction (saving us from their stench).  The plastic barrier erected in our honor is still in place.  The driver of a minibus traveling between the Jiftlik and Nabluswaits for passengers to come through inspection.  The soldier on duty today is the one who’s considerate to those crossing – the elderly and pregnant women don’t have to get off the bus.  Iliya comes over to see who we are.  “Tourists”?  He’s reprimanded (by his colleagues) and returns to his post.

The mobile baggage scanner is operating.  An army pickup truck (“Battalion Mobile Communications Unit”) goes by a few times.  A huge pickup truck (“Maintenance Unit”) leaves the checkpoint area.  Light traffic.  A few vehicles transporting laborers cross to the west.

Two volunteers (from Norwayand Switzerland) who live in Yanun, stopped to chat on their way to Tayasir.

13:00 We left.

13:30  Tayasir checkpoint

No signs posted at the gate to the army base, no flags flying…We went up to our observation post.  Five soldiers lie in the shade, as if they’d fainted.  A female soldier sits alongside on a chair.  She might be visiting one of them.  A few minutes later two of the soldiers move down to the post on the road and stretch out at its entrance.  From there they motion with their cell phones for the waiting cars to go through.  They confirm they’re from the Kfir brigade; they removed all the signs and flags because they’re being transferred to Jenin.  Other Kfir units will replace them.

A taxi arriving from the west (the West Bank) goes through, while the passengers wait… finally, after we call the soldiers’ attention to them, someone calls “ta’al.”

“Don’t worry, we would have called them even if you hadn’t said anything.”

After the men, it was the women’s turn.  Their bags were also inspected.  In honor of the second lieutenant who showed up, or for us??  The second lieutenant calls and asks someone if we’re allowed to stand near the post.  He didn’t chase us away.

14:00  We left.  The shift change at this hour didn’t delay the taxi coming from the west.

14:20  Bezeq checkpoint.

They didn’t ask us anything.  We crossed.