'Anabta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Falamiya, Habla, Jit Junction , Mon 10.6.13, Morning
A quiet day of routine occupation
06:15 Azzun Atma - A lot of people have been waiting outside in a line of 60-70 people. As soon as we arrive the carousel breaks down. The soldiers are reluctant to pass people through the alternative gate because then there is crowdedness and pushing and that worries them, it is difficult for them to deal with it. They try passing some people but stop and only at 06:35 the carousel was repaired and started working again. Now the passage runs as it should. Muad is selling coffee as usual – one Shekel for a small cup, we buy, he and his family need every penny.
07:00 Habla - Most people have already passed since the checkpoint opens at 06:30. There is still a small line and carts are passing in both directions and cars as well. Children are already on summer break, some of them go to work with their parents.
07:20 Eliyahu Crossing - A few pedestrians waiting in line all is quiet and lots of cars leave the occupied territories toward Israel. We rushed because we had to get from someone a receipt for a bail he paid for his son in court. The son was acquitted but the father couldn’t go to court to get his money back and Haya would do it for him. Another son, who has been shot by soldiers four months ago, is on trial today in Salem and the father wants to get to the trial. What a life.
08:10 Falamiya - It is quiet but not as quiet as usual since the silence is disturbed by a lot of tractors – they are erecting the new fence and the livelihood of Israeli contractors is guaranteed. The moving of the fence would still not solve the problem of the seam zone because even after the moving a large Palestinian area will remain on the Israeli side of the fence and there will be a need for a gate and soldiers to keep the gate. People are passing, towards the fields, children and tractors too.
08:50 Jit Junction - Route 60 - There are policemen and one soldier and they stop cars inspecting documents, checking wheels, headlights and what not - you'd think that people are passing their annual vehicle licensing test on the main road - but after a while they let them go and others are stopped. The checking is arbitrary.
09:30 Anabta Junction – there is a Jeep next to the watchtower and soldiers in the tower but everything is quiet and the passage toward and from Tulkarm is uninterrupted.