Falamiya

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Place: 
Observers: 
Dvorka and Hanna Zohar (reporting)
Mar-2-2016
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Afternoon

 

The goal – an afternoon visit to the Sal'it and Palamiya North gatesinfo-icon.

 

The road is beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. "Just like Tuscany," says Dvorka. All the people whom we’ve asked, in Arabic, for directions answered in good Hebrew and a big smile.

We arranged with G. that he would drive with us to the gates. He was a bit late and we entered his shop. There were women of his family there, who were keen to talk to us. Laughing and smiling, they mentioned Micky with warmth. We tried our Arabic and slowly communication was established. More women of the family entered by and by, and were presented to us. This one is the mother, and the other the aunt, etc….In the midst of all the giggling one woman let slip, "they took our olives and our land."

 

When G. arrived we asked his wife to join us. She consented and sat in the car, but G. reminded her that she had work to do and she got off. A pity.

 

16.30 Sal'it Gate 937

Exit went off in order. In the afternoon the papers are not checked. About 200 workers enter in the morning and about 185 leave. There are workers who wish to work more. Then their employers bring them to the Jabara gate.

 

We watch from a certain distance. There is a small industrial park there. The workers return in tractors hitched to wagons. Women also work in the industrial zone, in a plant that produces solar water tanks. We told G. that he should talk to the women and if there were some who already retired we could check whether they had received all their rights, and if they wished, to transfer the further andling of the restitution of the monies due to them to "Kav La-Oved".

 

G. has a good opinion of Salfit. This is a veteran settlement. He mentions proudly that he was the first worker there. He explains that it is the army that takes plots of land and transfers them to the inhabitants of Sal'it.

 

We told G. that the government had authorized another 7,000 Palestinian workers to enter Israel for work. G. says that the permits are given only to older men. while the young ones are more in need of work to establish themselves. "The elderly ones go to work and the young sre supported by their fathers, instead of it being the reverse".

 

17.00 We reached the Northern Falamiya gate 914, just as the workers began going out. There are no delays, the workers come out of the gate, recognize us and greet us. It seems they are happy that we are there.