Habla

The occupation routine;  a quiet day despite the current situation. Different opening hours because of the olive harvest.  The the security road gate to ‘Izbet Salman is again open.  One hour before we arrived the plant nurseries at Habla were notified that the Civil Administration is releasing the replacement pipes for the water pumps which were confiscated 19 months ago (21.3.14).  They believe they’d be able to operate the pump on electricity instead of dirty diesel fuel, which they hadn’t been able to do until now.

12:45  ‘Izbet Salman checkpoint, gate 1447

One car waits on the Palestinian side of the gate.  After a few minutes a car arrives along the fence; its occupants say this gate won’t open now (it has apparently opened earlier), but at 1 PM the gate at Jalloud checkpoint will open.  They invited us to ride there with them, which we did.

12:55  Jalloud checkpoint, gate 1419

The soldiers arrive and open the gate opposite Jalloud, a few people exit, others enter. Everything’s quiet and pleasant.

13:25  Habla checkpoint, 1939

As soon as we arrive we meet A. who happily tells us that an hour ago he has been notified that the pipes confiscated 19 months ago had been released.  But…  It will cost them NIS 7000-8000 to hire three long-bed trucks to bring the pipes from Beit El, where they’ve been held.  That’s a great deal of money, but like everywhere under the occupation confiscations are followed by demands for payment – cf. reports from the Jordan Valley.

The checkpoint is quiet, whoever arrives go through, there’s no line, and it remained that way during the time we were there.

13:45  The school bus rosses to ‘Arab Ramadin and returns empty.  The Palestinians say the soldiers today are perfect.  We also spoke with them, and although we disagreed with most of them the discussion was restrained.