Qalandiya and Hizma - the incursion of violent armed men into shops
One photo of many showing – second by second – the incursion of violent armed men into one shop out of many
I write without separating the two sites – Qalandiya and Hizme – their story is the same, same melody, same incursion, same robbery in broad daylight.
This was performed without any advance warning, as if that were unnecessary when one party is dominant, violent, and the other – helpless.
Armed forces invaded small as well as large businesses, robbed wares made in Palestine because “You are not allowed to sell what Abu Mazen produces”. Bundles of cash were taken out of cash registers and drawers, body searches were conducted on sellers, and if there was any money found in pockets – it was taken.
Most of the robbed wares were packs of cigarettes produced in the West Bank that for the weakened local population is a lifeline, and for the grocers and vendors – a livelihood.
Hundreds of packs of cigarettes were brought down from shop shelves and taken away.
Thousands of shekels were robbed in cash from their owners.
In Hizme the armed men did not make do with cigarettes and cash – they stole clothes from one store as well.
And no, they did not leave the victims any kind of document to prove that he had been robbed.
Moreover: windshields of vehicles parked in front of the Qalandiya refugee camp had 250 shekel fine tickets attached to them, and stalls planted in the muddy ground on the roadside were fined at 1,200 shekel each – for “This is Jerusalem here”.
- But even if history and maps are re-written, Qalandiya refugee camp and Hizme village are not a part of the Jerusalem jurisdiction area).
Before leaving the invaders promised to return to the same places and to others for the same purpose.
What remained on the ground was a myriad bruises, fresh and unadulterated.