Falamiya North Checkpoint (914), Habla Checkpoint (1393)

Another shift during which we showed conditions in the occupied territories, this time to an Israeli-American woman from California.

11:15  Hani, at the gate, explains the Elkana salient and the seam zone, and we drive along the wall surrounding ‘Azzun ‘Atma and its lands, to Oranit.  At the greenhouses west of Oranit, an area bordering Kafr Qassem, we’re told Oranit checkpoint 1471 opens in the afternoon at 12:50, after some months during which it opened at 14:30.  In the morning it opens a little after 07:00.

12:35  Falamiya north checkpoint.  We arrived before it opened.  Clear and sunny, after a few days of rain.  A driver of a large transport vehicle waits by the pump for za’atar that will be brought from the fields.  He’s from Far’oun.  A relatively elderly man, dressed in city clothes, waits with two workers beside a tractor.  He has a permit valid for two years, for his sons as well, but they come to work the field only on weekends.  He comes every few days, accompanying his workers.  An additional man, in his 50’s, received a permit valid for only one year.  The gates open, people cross to the east, back to their homes, three young men on bicycles, about eight tractors – one of which apparently loaded the sacks of za’atar on the waiting vehicle and returned westward.  A few more vehicles cross to the west, more traffic than usual, perhaps because of the good weather.

We didn’t continue to Checkpoint 935 due to the mud and the puddles.  We drove along the old security road to Jayyus.  On the road up to Jayyus two young women signaled us to stop.  We thought they wanted a ride.  They preferred their stroll but wanted to know who we were, and were very pleased to hear about Machsom Watch.

13:45  ‘Azzun.  We visited Z. at home; he repeated his request for household and kitchen goods, and also small decorative objects for his home.

After turning in the direction of the fence and the Ras-a-Tira gate, Alfei Menashe and ‘Arab a-Ramadin, we reached Habla after the checkpoint had closed.