Beit Yatir, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Sun 19.9.10, Morning

Translation: Bracha B.A.

Sansana-Meitar Crossing
The workers had already gone through when we arrived.  At 09:30 on our way back there were still five busses waiting in the parking lot and prisoners' families had not yet left to visit.

Metzudot-Beit Yatir Crossing
Almost no Palestinians use this crossing. The partition wall forces the children of a family that lives on one side of the wall to cross this checkpoint every day on their way to school and back home. Every child is required to show a permit when he goes through, morning and afternoon. We met them on their way to school. The most dominant member of the security forces was a man wearing fringes such as those worn by orthodox Jews and he looked more like a settler than a security guard. He was extremely rude to us and we photographed the argument that he had with Leah concerning the children's permits. He then demanded the camera and I showed him that I had erased the pictures of a military zone while leaving the others. He insisted that i hand over the camera and threatened to call the police and the authorities, claiming i would be detained and punished. Kfir, the commander of the crossing arrived and politely explained the orders regarding the children's crossing of the checkpoint as well as prohibition against any photo-taking. But he apologized for the young man's rude behavior. Leah wondered if it was not inappropriate or even forbidden for a security guard to be wearing fringes that prevent people from differentiating between security guards and settlers.

Huda Bahashem al Darj's Kindergarten
Huda received us warmly and the children were shy and curious about us. We brought cans of paint that had been donated at Michal's request by the Niralt Factory at Kibbutz Nir Oz with the help of Yael Agmon. The paint will be used after the renovation is completed. The swings have still not been repaired and a few children are playing on the merry-go-round. The toys were piled neatly in a corner.