Falamiya North Checkpoint (914), Falamiya South Checkpoint (935)

After a short visit at Z.’s in Azzun we met our acquaintance G. at Kafer Sur. He welcomed us at his home, and invited a neighbor lady who has problems getting permits.

About 3000 dunams of the plots of Kufr Sur are located at the Seamline zone. The limitations of the approach to these plots resulted in the fact that most of them are not processed regularly, and only olive and almond trees, which do not require irrigation, are grown there.  There is a small number of families whose agriculture is more varied, and they pass by the Falamiya North CP which is very far from the village. The others pass by the Sal’it gate, which is opened twice a day and serves mainly all the inhabitants of the region who go to work at the industrial center of Sal’it.

There are problems in getting permits. Up to a year ago G. got permits for two years, but last year he got a permit for a year only, and this after the Palestinian and Israeli DCO sent him back and forth between them. He has to renew the permit just now, before the olive picking season. He approached the DCO in July, and since then every month, and now they told him to come at the beginning of October. At the Palestinian DCO everything is conducted by computer.

The same happens to others. He told us about somebody else who until 2014 got permits, but now doesn’t get them at all. There is a worry amongst the farmers from forgeries, and the feeling that there is corruption on both sides. He tells us that at the Palestinian DCO farmers are told that there was a refusal in their case, but the forms are not returned to them.

Um Omar did get a permit, for three people only, and her husband who works and cannot accompany her to the plots. But her sons, who received permits until 2014 don’t get permits anymore. She has nobody who could help her and she cannot got out by herself, it is dangerous and she is unable to do the work by herself.

In addition to the permit problem there is a problem regarding the opening of the Sal’it CP (839) during the olive picking season. The CP which serves mainly workers who come from the entire region, from refugee camps too, to work at the industrial region of Sal’it, is opened only twice a days. During the olive picking season it should be opened at noon aswell, and especially at an earlier hour in the morning, and for a longer duration, in order to enable the farmers with their carts and vehicles to pass before the arrival of the many workers who crowd the CP.

In order to reach his land, he is obliged to pass by three army gate (only at the first there are checks) and then another gate which is opened by remote control by the security guard which he alerts by phone . In addition to all this they have built a new neighbourhood at the Sal’it settlement and have surrounded it by a fence, although some of the Palestinian farmers have lands behind it. In the meantime there is an opening, without a gate, but they fear that one day the opening will be closed.

G. said that he would send me by email the list of persons who haven’t received permits. The list hasn’t arrived yet.

13:15 We arrived at the Falamiya North (914) CP when it was in the course of being closed. Just one other tractor passed. We continued to Falamiya South (935).  There the gates and the asphalt square had been renewed. The soldiers arrived a few minutes after us and organized themselves for the opening of the gate. In the meantime we met a nephew of N. who told us about the many young persons from the village who are detained. He showed us that he had a permit for two years, which he received in July, although he is “prevented”.

A few tractors with workers passed. One of the carts was loaded with citrus fruit.