'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara (Kafriat), Mon 9.3.09, Afternoon
Translation: Galia S.
A big change in the set-up of the checkpoints but the picture is not quite clear yet.
Jubara, Ar-Ras
13:50 – At the entrance to the village there are two new shacks. One is in front of the fence facing the Figs Gate and the second on the other side of the fence in the direction of the village. Does this indicate that in the future the village residents will again leave through this gate? The commander of the passage opens the gate for us with no problems or intentional delays.
At gate 753 (the Schoolchildren's Gate) Hamdan is asked to show his documents and we go on heading for what used to be Ar-Ras checkpoint. There is no sign of it and no other checkpoint in sight. Hopefully no other checkpoint will replace this one.
We go on through the villages Kafr Sur, the picturesque Beit Lid towards Anabta. One checkpoint less helps us enjoy more the landscape, the greenery and the pink and red carpets of pink flax, poppies and anemones.
At the entrance to road 557 from the direction of Beit Lid there is a Palestinian police car. We are almost tempted to ask, for the sake of comparison with the heavy fines that the Israeli police imposes, what fine is imposed for parking 2 centimeters beyond the white line…
Anabta
A large area east of the access road has already been leveled. A big bulldozer digs into the rocky soil near the tower and more of them are scattered in the area. It seems that a large checkpoint is being built here.
Many vehicles with Israeli licence plates enter the town. Their documents are checked. At the exit there is a line of about 15 vehicles but the inspection is quite brief.