'Azzun, Habla, Nabi Elias, Wed 9.10.13, Morning

 Nabi Elias –At our meeting with the women a week ago R. invited us to come and help her family at the Olive Harvest. As she showed us her Olive Orchard is situated exactly bordering on the Separation Fence, at the "Israeli" side.

We arrived in the morning at the Baladiya (the Council building) at 10:00 hrs (09:00 according to the Palestinian time) . As nobody was waiting for us, we entered, and met Hussan, the advisor on the development of the villages. He insisted that we wait for R. in his office with a cup of coffee. After he made a few phone calls to investigate what had happened to our hosts, and after we waited for quite a while (Hussan insisted we meet her before we left) R. arrived and apologized profusely. She explained that her husband had been injured in his eye at work, and she herself cannot go out to the olive collecting as her three year old son had been vaccinated, has fever and cannot be left alone at home. Moreover she cannot take him with her to the olive harvest as he has no authorization to enter the Seam Zone and the olive orchard, and the guards at the Eliyahu crossing don't allow him to pass…R. invited us to come to the olive picking on the following day. We agreed to meet for the activities at the women's club after the holidays.

Azzun 11:30 – We passed in order to see the gate – it was open and cars passed through it in both directions.

Habla 11:45 – It was not opening time, and as was to be expected the gate was shut. One person was sitting in the shade on the ground, waiting for the gate to be opened.

In order to console ourselves for the olive harvest that never was, we passed at Omer's plant nursery and enjoyed buying vegetables and plants.