'Einabus, Burin (Yitzhar), Haris, Huwwara, Zeta, Tue 5.2.13, Morning
09:30 We left from the Rosh Ha’ayin train station.
It’s unusual to see four armed soldiers stationed next to the traffic light at the junction of Highway 5 and the road to Emanuel, stopping Palestinian cars for inspection.
10:00 Hars. Because of a lack of coordination we weren’t told that the elections which were to have been held in the club last Tuesday were postponed until today. So the English class won’t be held for the second consecutive week. That’s too bad.
Our tour:
10:15 We leave Hars to drive to Burin. On our way we go through Qira, Zeita, Jama’in and Einabus. They still seem half asleep, despite the hour. Little traffic, few people on the street.
10:45 Huwwara. Life here is bustling. Most shops are open, some with show windows and colorful signs. Cars and taxis drive on the main street. Seemingly a quiet town, living calmly. And then we reach the checkpoint. We see a few soldiers in the watchtower. A large red sign (like the ones already described in other Machsom Watch reports) declares: “Israelis entering Area A endanger their lives and commit a criminal offense” – no less…
11:00 Burin. We came to gather information about an incident that had occurred after villagers had erected tents on village land and were attacked by soldiers. A number of men stand next to the Palestinian Authority building; we ask them questions: the army came to dismantle the tents (reminder: they were erected on land belonging to the village!) and used tear gas when it met with resistance. As soon as the settlers from Beracha saw what was going on they came down from the hill to join the fun. We should note that the soldiers, to their credit, didn’t allow the settlers to approach the village. The soldiers arrested five people. One was badly beaten. His “sin” was that he carried a Palestinian flag. A child nearby was shot in the leg. Those arrested were taken to jail, “apparently to Megiddo.” There’s been no contact with them yet, or with an attorney, because it’s not yet clear whether they’ll be tried.
11:30 Tapuach junction. The checkpoint is operating, Border Police soldiers stopping cars. Road repairs on the way to Yitzhar. An armored military vehicle escorting the laborers. Certainly an efficient use of military manpower. The road at the Jit junction is open through Funduq to the Eliyahu crossing.
11:50 Back to Rosh Ha’ayin.