Dura-Al Fawwar Junction, Hebron, South Hebron Hills

Characteristic morning for the Month of Ramadan

Quiet on the roads.  Few cars and few pedestrians.

The balloon above the observation base El-Dir Razak and on the road to Negohot.

At the entrance to El-Fawwar, there is an army vehicle but the soldier doesn’t get out and doesn’t delay anyone  Everything is quiet.

Hebron

Quiet and desolate, the stores are shuttered.  At the entrance to the area of Ma’arat HaMachpela (the Tomb of the Patriarchs) a border guard  reminds (let’s say, politely) Muhammed that if he is a Muslim, he is not allowed to remain there and he has to park outside.  We explain to the border guard who we are and in what direction we are going.  It is clear that he has never heard of us and requests that I explain a little about ourselves.  So I explain.  “Ahh—Women for Human Rights”, he reads on the tags that we wear around our necks.  “Nice.”  “Yes,” I answer him, “even you need those rights.”  “Of course,madam, what do you think?” he answers me.  “Those are the values we were raised on, no?”

At the edge of the street HaSelah, that connects the street HaShohada, a new pill box (guard station) was installed and manned on the right side for those coming to Ma’arat HaMachpela.  This is the small street where they promised to open the parking lots.  They are obviously closed.   There are soldiers from the army group “Duchifat” everywhere, patrolling or sitting, from Kikar Gross to Tel Romida. 

We travel to Shiuh-Sair.  There also, everything is open and it is even possible to enter Hebron from there. 

Returning via Roads 356 and 317.

Everything was empty and quiet. Obviously, normalcy will return after Id-Al Fitr (the celebration at the end of Ramadan) which begins tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.and ends on Sunday night.