'Azzun, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Mon 10.9.12, Morning

06:30  Eliyahu Gate

A very small line for pedestrians.  3 cars being inspected.  We continued immediately to the entrance of Qalqilya for a meeting with someone who had been blacklisted by the GSS, in order to get his signature on some forms.

7:00  Izbatt Tabib

All lot of children already leaving their houses on the way to school at Azun and Izbat Tabib.  We decided to travel to the school, since we were told that there were problems and that the IDF had arrived and was harassing the children.  It was quiet near the school.  A youth came out and, despite our protests, he called M. and woke him up.  He sat us on chairs near the entrance to the school, opposite the garden where the "protests" had been organized.  There were a number of signs in Arabic and Hebrew, and a pergola.  A Palestinian flag and some small flags.  Chickens were wandering around on the road between the playground and the houses.  We spent the next half an hour in conversation with M., after he got organized and prepared coffee for us.  Meanwhile, the children were arriving at school, happy and cheerful and they stood in ranks for the beginning of the school day.  We heard a megaphone broadcasting slogans and songs, and then quiet - they entered the classrooms.

M. says that the IDF arrives from time to time and sets up flying checkpoints,etc., but he didn't say anything about harassment of the children, except when they go to their homes and search for children who "threw stones".  M. said, "How can they throw stones on the road after they have built the fence?"  According to him there are 50 children in the school, and also someone came from Ramadin (a Bedouin tribe which lives on the Israeli side of the fence) who brought children to the school, which he considered to be better than the school in his area.  There are 40 houses in the village, out of which about 35 have demolition orders.  The village is in Area C, so they can't get building permits, or permits for "natural growth", as they can on the Jewish settlements.  He also told us that the village was created because his grandfather bought 100 dunams there and settled one of his wives there.  The others lived with him in the area of Raanana, in a village named Tubsur.  When they were evicted in 1948, the whole family moved to live near their fields here, and they are here since then. Today a lawyer is due to submit a petition at the High Court, against the demolition of the school.

08:20  Habla

Very few people are waiting, and they go through quickly; everyone who arrives, goes through quickly on both directions, including cars belonging to Omar, the owner of the nursery, and others.


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