Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nuaman, Mon 15.9.08, Afternoon

Beit Umar, Wallag

1.00– 5.30 PM 

Nuaman - Mazmoria Checkpoint: We started at the Mazmoria CP  in order to watch the passage of the children on their way home after school. The soldier at the vehicle CP asked us where we are headed for and warned us not to stay in thr CP area.  There is no answer to the question where exactly this area is. When we stopped across the street of the pedestrian crossing, on the way towards Nuaman, we were immediately approached by the same soldier who demanded we move on and not interfere with their work. There is no sign indicating the boundaries of the CP area. We explained that all we are interested in is the crossing of the CP by the school children on their way home. We were pleased to realize that the passage was fast and we saw the very small children climbing slowly the steep way to the village with their heavy school bags on their backs. We also went to the village, going along its "main road" seeing nobody outside but noticing that the agricultural area is growing.Back on the main road we again passed the checkpoint where we were asked by the same soldier as before where we came from (Didn't he know?). When we answered that we were in Nuaman he ordered us to step out and open our trunk to prove we are not carrying any explosives.

We decided to drive along the Nokdim road and were impressed by a number of road signs that carried a large hand written sign towards "Shdema". This is the way to solely create a public awareness and probably also establish facts.

Beih Umar : We decided to visit our old acquaintance Abu Nassim in Beit Umar to greet him with Ramadan Karim. He expressed great joy on seeing us and told us all is well and quiet in Beit Umar (is that really so?). On our departure he asked: "why has Haya not come for such a long time? Doesn't she work any more?" We asked ourselves whether it would not have been more decent to tell him of stopping the regular relations with him, instead of just disappearing.
 

Wallage: From the way we called our friend A in Wallage and were surprised to find him at home and not working. When we arrived at his house it turned out that a few days ago his working permit has expired and a new one has not yet been issued. Until it will be issued he can't work and doesn't earn a living. Last time, three months ago it took two weeks before he got the permit. To think that this is the situation; a person who has a regular working place which hands in the application in due time, ten days before expiration (it is impossible to do it before that), has to sit at home two weeks only in order to get back to work for three months till the next time!We sat in A's garden, overlooking Jerusalem from an almost touchable distance, hearing once more the hardships of life on this side of the conflict.