Hussan, Nashash, Beit Ummar, Nabi Yunis + 27/7/2015

A. We went through all our usual stops: Husan, Nashash, Beit Ummar, Nabi Yunis and Etzion DCL. There were fewer people than usual especially in Beit Ummar. The people of Beit Ummar do not mention the murder of Salah Abu Maria during the night raid on his home, only when we talk about it. On the signs hanging and spread on fences and bus stations on our road on Route 60 are written, among other things, these declarations:

1) Netanyahu is strangling the settlements, and the Likud is silent? 
2) We are stopping the destruction / fighting for Bethel 
3) A voice is calling out!  
4) These days mark ten years to the terrible destruction of Gush Katif and northern Samaria. 
These days we are again at risk of the demolition of Bethel, and other places in our holy land. 
The government, under pressure from world nations, ignores the right God gave us for this land, preventing construction in Judea and Samaria. 
Etc etc...

I was copying these declarations at the square of Gush Etzion when a soldier, one of those who guard the settlers at the bus station - approached and asked what I was writing. A nice guy, secular from Beit Shemesh. He gave a long speech, said he was in Beit Ummar the night of the murder, and that when the soldiers came out of their vehicles they were immediately attacked by stones. According to him "You have unreliable sources. You are living in a movie. You buy into lies. If you don’t like it – you can live elsewhere. What you are doing is the worse. And no, these are not occupied territories, all this is ours..." etc. etc.

 To complete the picture – on a car in front of us was the common sticker: The Lives of our soldiers are more important than the lives of the enemy civilians 

B. Muhammad, 23 years old asked for our help, his documents stated that he had a trial in 12.2013 for the following transgressions: 
"Violation of closed area" (entering Israel when it’s illegal), and "impersonating someone else." We spoke with him. He had in his pocket his brother’s ID. In the criminal record ("certificate of good conduct") was written that he was sentenced to 31 months and a suspended sentence of three months, if he repeats the same offense two years after serving his sentence. There are no prior offenses in his criminal records.  This is the first time he was caught by Israeli forces. He was in jail for 31 days and again (we had encountered such cases in the past) – a lawyer’s intervention was required in order to correct the error in the registry. After all, he was sentenced to 31 days in jail and not 31 months. But even when the mistake will be corrected it would probably not change the real punishment that Israeli police inflicted on him and not the court. This sentence is on the form Muhammad received from the DCO’s policeman. And this is the punishment: Muhammad got an entry restriction (won’t be able to obtain a work permit) from 30/2/14 (the date he was released from prison) till 9.2.19. And the calculation is in the form: 
1. Violation of a closed area - forbidden to leave pursuant to section so and so - limiting entry for a year and a half. 
2. Impersonating as someone else in order to deceive, under section so and so restricting entry to 5 years. 
And yet, although the culmination of years of punishment is six and a half years, the police took pity. Muhammad will not get a work permit for 5 years only. As we know, no appeal or petition would help. Let Muhammad wait patiently. 
The five years will pass!