Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills
Meitar crossing
Completely empty; everyone’s cleaning. A few Palestinians were going through the vehicle crossing on our way back; the staff check for passes. Only the vehicle crossing is open.
South Hebron Hills – Highway 60
A barrage of signs all the way to Hebron invite the entire House of Israel to visit on the intermediate days of Passover. Army bulldozers smooth parking areas. Settlers in Hebron are burning leaven.
Beit Hameriva-Beit HaShalom (see photos, below)
A large sign has been hung below Beit Hameriva on the Zion route: “Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in truth with My whole heart and with My whole soul.” (Jeremiah 32:41).
The Palestinians who live nearby are under a great deal of pressure. We run into journalists from Yediot Aharonot (Oded Shalom); they interview us and Palestinians who came over to complain. Shlomo Levinger, who’s a member of one of the three families living in the building speaks to one of the Palestinians and to us – he says they’re also opposed to soldiers being stationed there; they’ve reached an agreement with the army to leave only the pillbox on the roof, and the cameras. He tells us the families in the building were chosen very carefully; they want to be good neighbors and have the checkpoint dismantled… If you believe that… Meanwhile a Red Crescent jeep and TIF police officers try to calm the Palestinians. They’re bottling up their anger and rage. Repair of the Moslem cemetery is underway there. A boy sits at the Palestinian home across the street; they added wooden partitions to the wall around the building for protection. Bassem’s son is marrying on Friday; he’s both happy and stressed.
Israel’s declaration of independence is drying on a wall of Beit Hameriva.
The soldier on guard eats a final pita – the symbiosis between the army and the settlers is pretty annoying.
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Pharmacy checkpoint: A vehicle for dispersing demonstrations is parked there.
Hebron is sad today, and very disheartening. We also met Issa and Yehuda. ‘Araf told us that Saturday, when soldiers came to separate his children from the settlers’, they beat his, who then required medical attention. Man’al, from B’Tselem, has photographs. The Yediot Aharonot reporter also heard what ‘Araf said.
It’s very hard today to believe we’ve gone from slavery to freedom – instead, we’ve sunk deeper into the morass of occupation which sucks in everything that’s good.
Happy holiday.