'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Wed 22.10.08, Morning

Anabta

09:45 – On both sides the thin traffic is flowing with almost no stopping for inspection.

Ar-Ras

10:30 – At the checkpoint on the road, where the road is still in a very bad shape, the passage of vehicles is most problematic. While we are there, there isn't much traffic. The soldiers check the cars thoroughly and tell us, proud of their achievements, that they have found various explosive devices.

At the exit from Jubara, by the fence, the owner of a pick-up truck loaded with oil jugs that have just been brought from the oil-press (the total olive harvest of the season) tries to get back home. He is forced to wait until the DCO [District Coordination Office of the IDF Civil Administration that handles passage permits] gives the permission to transfer the "merchandise" to his home. A permit is needed in order to transfer merchandise in this place, and if you don't have it, you have no choice but wait for one. The man says that this is all he has harvested this year. He has 10 brothers. Each one will get 3 jugs and that's it.

Due to rain scarcity, the crop was poor. The soldiers do their work by the book and the Palestinian has to wait accordingly.

We try to explain to them that this is his home, his land and his crop. The term merchandise is, in this case, wrong. Eventually, the man gets the permit and goes home.