Dura-Al Fawwar Junction, Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills
Southern Hebron Hills, Hebron
We left in the morning with a guest and a possible new member.
It’s always good to look at the reality we’re familiar with through the wide-open, amazed eyes of a first-time observer.
The Meitar checkpoint was empty at 08:30; all the laborers had already crossed. But it’s filthy and poorly maintained.
The fenced corridor through which people pass every morning on their way to work is always shocking and shows exactly what the authorities think about those people.
The cleaning man says he asked for a helper but the DCL refused his request. He comes from Dahariyya each morning and is paid NIS 2000/month. He’s “drowning” in huge amounts of refuse which he’s unable to clean up by himself.
It’s impossible to approach the bathrooms.
The Israeli side is clean and well-kept and the chemical toilets are provided by the “Motz’ot” company. Why aren’t they also provided on the Palestinian side, which is Israel’s responsibility?
Traffic flows all along Highway 60. Sparse military presence; all the roadblocks are open. But according to news reports the IDF was active in Hebron and in Nablus searching for weapons.
All the checkpoints are open.
There are again people with a donkey and plastic jugs collecting water at the spring.
At the Dura al-Fawwar junction soldiers dismantled the morning checkpoint at the entrance to Dura and walk back to the pillbox with their equipment.
The entrance to al-Fawwar is quiet; traffic flows.
Hebron
A quiet, bleak morning.
Leah, who hasn’t been to Hebron recently, is shocked at the fortified checkpoints in the heart of the city.
The fenced corridors and the guard posts and the crossing have been “upgraded” to the level of East Berlin in days gone by.
Nothing out of the ordinary, few people crossing. Many male and female soldiers at the Cave of the Patriarchs.
‘Abed, from the souvenir shop, is happy as ever to welcome us for coffee. He says everything’s normal. The last, boring days of summer vacation.
We returned via Highway 317, to again view, through “fresh” eyes, the big lie called “a building freeze in the occupied territories.”