'Awarta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Habla, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 13.12.12, Afternoon

Natanya translating

An autumn day.

Hebron. Yesterday a border policewomen shot and killed a Palestinian armed with a toy gun.

Today there is a demonstration of the supporters of Hamas in Nablus.

The media reports that there is unrest in "Yehuda and Shomron" (The West Bank)

Except for the army presence which I always mention……there is no 'unrest" in all the places through which we passed.

Because of the fact that there as been a change in the checkpoints which we have known in the past many people are no longer waiting for the generosity of the soldiers to let them pass from village to village.  The checking is careful.

Who are here and represent the occupation are army vehicles.

13.30 Habla checkpoint.  A Palestinian  

car is being checked.  The driver is checked

in the room, comes out and waves a hello

to us.

There are few people passing at this hour

of the day.

13.35  The Bedouin school children who

went through the checkpoint are now

coming home on the dirt road.

13.37  The bus from which they alighted is again checked at the Eliyahua checkpoint.

13.38  An army jeep drives in front of us and turns to the right to Ma'aleah Shomron.

13.47 Before the village of El Pundak an army jeep arrives opposite us.

13.51 At the settlement of Kedumied an army vehicle arrives from the opposite direction to us.

13.52 An army jeep turns to the right and goes into the settlement of Mitzpeh Yeshai.

14.00 An army jeep coming towards us after the checkpoint of Jit  turns to the right.   

14.04 Before the meeting of road 60 with the road Huwwara-Bruin an army jeep passes us from the opposite direction.

1.4 15 The checkpoint of Huwwara. At the hiking post of the settlement of Bracha we see a soldier guarding.

At the checkpoint itself the lights are on. The checking posts are not manned. When we return to the checkpoint of Beit Furik we see two soldiers coming from the direction of the checkpoint walking slowly and it seems the shift is being changed.

14.20 The checkpoint of Beit Furik. We saw no soldiers. We will send a photo of the checkpoint which reminds those who do not know that those coming from Nablus in the direction of the village of Beit furik (and the other way around) do not have a turning to the road which leads to the settlement of Alon Moreh.  The sign is done by hand but the command is clear…..this is an apartheid road.

14,22 The checkpoint of Huwwara. A yellow iron bar is closed and locked and there is no passage to Nablus.

14.28 An army jeep come opposite us to the northern entrance of the village of Huwwara.

14.45 Two army jeeps pass us on the main road to Huwwara. There is much traffic in the village from both sides which is usual for Thursday. The village is vibrant with life.

15.00 The checkpoint of Za'tara.  Two soldiers man the checking posts but do not check.

15.20 Azzun Atma.

Workers are coming back from work 

but there is no long line. A transparent

wall of plastic has been built next to the

checking room because of the rain. 

A shed has also been built which does

not allow us to see the road and to see

if there are people.  

In honour of Hanukah there is a menorah at the checkpoint.

Soldiers are at the checkpoint (also with kippot) and an  army  policewoman try to start an argument…..they are very impressed by the action of the soldier from Hebron. I have no desire to argue with them. I tell them to look at the site of machsomwatch,.