Hebron, South Hebron Hills

10:00-14:00

Sad, depressed, despondent, cheerless, bleak, pessimistic – that’s how I felt during today’s shift.

And I thought – If that’s how I feel, the Palestinians must feel even worse.  They’re not only wretched but also humiliated, and they don’t stop saying – where are you?

You begin to feel depressed when you see this pasted everywhere:

The feeling continues when you see a bulldozer blocking the entrance to Dair Razih:

What’s closed, what’s open

At Dahariya, Samu’a, Bani Na’im west, Ha’zayit crossing there are neither roadblocks nor soldiers.  ‘Abda, Karameh, Bani Na’im south, Dair Razih, Khirbet Tuwanni – mounds of earth.  Beit ‘Anun – closed, no soldiers.  Kvasim junction, Yatta, Beit Haggai – open, checkpoints with soldiers. 

Here’s what Dura al-Fawwar looks like:

The army closed the gates, the Palestinians try to find alternate routes and then the army stops them and from time to time fires smoke grenades at them.

It’s cold.  The Palestinians are without coats, afraid the soldiers will think they’re carrying knives and kill them.  They say to me: don’t talk to us, talk to the soldiers, tell them to stop.  They’re furious, but repress their rage.

We entered Hebron with no problems today, nor did settlers follow us.  It’s now exam time and the children finish school at 9:30 AM.  Hebron is more deserted than ever.  I saw at least four cases when soldiers stopped and searched young men – everyone’s walking around without a coat.  New checkpoints were established below Giv’at Ha’avot.  There’s a soldier there guarding the Hazon David synagogue which was rebuilt even though the Supreme Court determined the land must be returned to its Palestinian owner.  The Civil Administration conducted a census at Tel Rumeida and entry is prohibited to non-residents.  I entered the grocery briefly and all the soldiers from the checkpoint followed me – the Palestinians looked frightened so I gave up and left.

On both sides of Highway 35 that divides Halhul from Hebron soldiers walk through the vineyards with weapons drawn…

Shall we live by the sword forever?