'Atara, Sun 29.9.13, Afternoon

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Place: 
Observers: 
Roni Hammermann and Tamar Fleishman
Sep-29-2013
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Afternoon

Traslation:  Ruth Fleishman
 

Atara checkpoint:

On both sides of the checkpoint are deserted homes with blocked doors and windows, surrounded by barbed wire, weeds and thorns. When had they been emptied of their owners and what were the circumstances, one can only guess.

The unit flag which was fluttering in the wind alongside the Israeli flag, served no indication to the bad temper of the soldiers.

People say that often they (the soldiers) come out of the construction, pull over vehicles and create a long line of cars that stretches "to a long distance".

Three came out towards us. They were angry about the camerainfo-icon. "It look good in pictures" said the commander who defined the place as a "military facility". And later added: "This is a military camp".

He (the commander) said that the Palestinians threw stones at the soldiers and that it was dangerous and: "don't you think it's barbaric to throw stones?" and he continued to talk and only once he declared/ asked: "after all, your kids go on trips to Hebron" and we said that ours didn't, was he upset, he pull away and left, leading his soldiers to the checkpoint

But a couple of minutes later and several meter away from there, when we were at an arbitrary grocery on the road leading to Bir Zeit, we saw them (the soldiers) standing by the checkpoint, pulling cars over, taking the drivers out and rummaging through their trunks. One the heroic soldiers noticed that the camera was making its way towards them the fortified themselves behind the walls.

Because: "It doesn't look good in pictures".

Yin Yabrod checkpoint:

The soldiers at the checkpoint overlooking the road to and from Yin Ivrod, who had probably received a call from their colleagues from the twin tower at Atara, didn't come out. Only their voice that could be heard through the walls, the rumble of the generator and the lights that were turned on even though the sun was blazing, testified to their presence.

Old olive trees were uprooted from a large plot of land at the front of the checkpoint, which was transformed into a paking lot.