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

The soldiers believe the fence is Israel’s border.  They never heard of the Green Line!

The occupation routine, everything proceeds quietly, everyone knows their place.

Falamya north 914

Open: 16:10-1630

We crossed through Eliyahu checkpoint.  It’s calm, no vehicles on line.  We visited Z. in Kafr Jamal.  A generous spread of tea, coffee and dates.  We refused much more they offered us.  He told us his son works in Israel.  He leaves home at 03:30, the contractor picks them up at 05:00-05:30.  He finishes work at about 15:00 and gets home about 17:30.  He earns NIS 250/day (after paying a middleman – the gross daily rate is NIS 400).  Of that, he pays about NIS 40 for transportation.

16:05  We reached the checkpoint; people wait on the other side to return home after a workday in the fields.

16:20  The soldiers arrived ten minutes late.  Because of an incident, says a female soldier who interrogates us, what are we doing here, what do we want, do we think standing at the checkpoint will stop hostile acts by Palestinians and their attempts to harm us.  Nina replies patiently but the soldier doesn’t seem convinced.  She never heard of the Green Line, nor does she realize that the area in which the Palestinians are working and to which she permits them to cross (the seam zone, between the fence and the Green Line) isn’t part of Israel.

16:35  The gate closes.

Jayyus west (Falamya south) 935

Open: 16:40-17:00

16:40  The gate is already open; tractors cross from the fields, loaded with passengers – workers returning home.

16:50  They close the gate.  We hope there are no latecomers who didn’t manage to cross.  It’s not clear what they do if that happens.