חבלה, עזון עתמה

Azun Atmeh, Hablah, Mon. AM, 26.5.14

Observers:  Rahel A., Nina S. (reporting)

trans. Judith Green

An ordinary occupation day.  The children have vacation and also some of the adults.

6:20  Azun Atmeh

Checkpoint almost empty.  Anyone who comes, goes through quickly.  According to the EAPPI staff, who were on the other side of the fence from us and arrived at 5:40, there were a lot of people, but those operating the checkpoint were very efficient.  There are not a lot of people outside, and our feeling was that were fewer than usual. And, in fact, it turned out to be the day on which Muhammad had arrived in Jerusalem and went up to heaven on his horse, so it was a kind of holiday!  The children also did not go to school, which meant that few grown-ups were able to go out to work.  Four coffee-kids were at the checkpoint trying to persuade people to drink their coffee.  the Palestinians say that on Sunday there was a lot of confusion because of the military police who harassed those going through and kept closing the checkpoint.

7:05  Hablah

Also here there were not long lines, and the whole time up until the closing of the gates there was not really a serious line.  By 8, everyone had gone through,including vehicles and the sheep going out to graze and this time they look quite clean and nice, after a shearing, without all the mud that clings to their coats during the winter.  The children's buses did not arrive - they were on vacation.

Judith Green