morning

Jubara Tuesday 29 December 03.12.29 Edna M. Naomi L. Herzliyah A/6.55 The student’s gate/ The children are ontheir way to school. The sky is blue and cold. The soldiers wait a minute or two and open the gate. We stand by the sid saying “good morning “ to the children. The soldiers also greet them. One of the teachers complains to us that the previous day they had to wait two hours in the afternoon and we promised to check this out. The soldiers hurry to close the gate. We cried to them that there are still children on the way. They open unenthusiastically saying that they have other gates to get to ( they are also children) and open the gate. Because of our prescence they waited till the last children passed. 7.45 The checkpoint. The group from the previous day phone us to draw our attention to the fact tht a resident of Geharab had his pass of residence taken away from him the preivious day by the commander and we are given his phone number. We go the checkpoint and find the commander who was there the previous day and try to find out from him what has happened. We are told that no such pass was taken from him. His pass for the checkpoint was taken from him because he had taken people in his car who did not have the correct papers. (How it important it is for us to have the correct information). We try to find out what he now has to do. He also is at the checkpoint. He knows why his pass was taken from him and we know him and speak to him. I It appears he has to get a new pass. He is allowed to pass and also given permission to return the same day.We notice how young the soldiers are and ask the commander khmt? To send a representative to the checkpint. A reserve captain arrives and calms the soldiers gently in his own way and helps us with some of the cases. Group of pedestrians arrive and are sent by the very young soldiers to the other side of the concertina parth( a new thing) and even further. “There is a closure and no one passes” we hear them crying. Because of the red signs saying that Israeli citizens are not allowed to be in the area (also something new) we asked the commander if we could go and speak to them and he agreed in spite of the sign in Arabic and English. It turns out that they are a group of teachers. We return to the commander and ask if they also cannot pass and he tell us that teachers, doctors and students can pass. He tried to call to the soldier who was checking the papers but because of the noise of the machines working on the hill he could not hear him. He said that his throat was sore and he could not shout. Eventually the soldier hears and lets everyone pass. As there were at least 10 teachers there one can only wonder what the children who passed through the gate earlier would have done at school without them. Ambulances also pass though one of the young soldiers shouts to the one who is checking “check each part””. We go to see is happening and . The soldiers are young and frightened. We help a humanitarian case to pass with the help of one of the doctors from the human rights organization. It is not clear if there was something humanitairian here. , A lorry with milk containers tries to pass from the south to Tulkarm. Because of a misunderstanding between the commander and the captain ???? she goes back they way she came. Had we run back and forwards and tried to connect between the various parties we might have been able to help. Ab old man with cheese was nto able to pass. Pedestrians and care pass slowly????? We see some detainees and after a conversation with them do not understand the reason for their being detained. We speak to the commander who says that he will deal with it and we leave. 9.10 Yirta gate? At Tulkarm. Many lorries and some men who complain to us that they wish to visit their families in Tulkarm and are not allowed to do so. We ask for details and find that one is married to and Israeli Palestinian? Woman and lives in thenorhtern meshulash. His brothers are also married in Israel. They allhave Israeli i.d.s They are not allowed to see their elderly parents in tul karm. One man tells us he is married to a Palestinian woman with three children who are on the Palestinina side and he cannot see them. We asked ???? how to help him but got no reply and took his phone number to see what we can do.9.11 9.35. we left and phoned the police to try to make sure that the gate would be open in the afternoon.