Eyal Crossing

We arrived at 05:00 at Orit Dekel, Rahal Affek, Yael Sadan, Nurith Poper, Pitzi Steiner, Nura Reish, Vivi Konfortyfor a joint shift of observation and taking photos on the background of the traffic exiting the checkpoint.

Darkness.  As is typical for Sundays it was crowded and crammed full with workers and white minibuses which maneuver wildly among the people.

The workers that came out and waited for transportation pointed out that there was an improvement in the pace of passing through the CP and that frequently the passage is acceptable.

The passage through the sleeve in the direction of the square is still too narrow. The bridge (over the smelly wadi) which was intended to provide another exit possibility to the square, is still blocked by a fence. It is already a few months that they promise that is would be opened…promises, promises.

 The situation at the waiting yard is very difficult for the thousands who are waiting of transportation, there are not seating arrangements (most of them site on the sharp security railings). The shed is very small. Where will all the waiting persons assemble when is will rain?

The toilets are, as usual, in an abominable state.

A worker whose employer from Taibe has been withholding his salary for a year (!) and turns him down time after time. Rahel explained to him how to apply to the Workers’ Line.

We met an Israeli, Rumanian born, contractor who wished that Israel should reign over the area of the kingdom of David or Shlomo or “in fact back to the times of Yoshua the son of Nun”. Meanwhile he was waiting for his worker who would receive his pay for 4 hours only. Crazy times…

We distributed to the people interested pages which explained the reason for our presence at the checkpoints and other difficult places all over the West Bank.

Each complaint seems small and unimportant – there is no place to sit, the shed is small and they will be forced to stand in the rain, the toilets are impossible, there are not enough buses (the Affikim Company) and it is necessary to pay more for minibusesto enable them to reach their place of work.

Together all these complains reflect the ugly occupation routine.

And these are the fortunate persons who managed to get the longed for permit to work in the State of Israel. In most of the West Bank there is no possibility to gain a living!