'Anabta, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Tue 13.1.09, Afternoon

שתפו:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
מקום או מחסום: 
צופות ומדווחות: 
Yehoshua R. (guest), Riva B., Nur B. (reporting)
13/01/2009
|
אחה"צ

Translation: Galia S.

Jubara

 13:50 – Thin traffic. There are three new flags here to mark the national pride and unity we have to demonstrate in time of war.

14:00 - The Schoolchildren's Gate is open. Here, too, as well as at Ar-Ras checkpoint, there are new flags. The reservists direct the passage of cars with a hand gesture. The driver of a vehicle that has come from Tulkarm is told to show his ID card. While it is being checked, a taxi is waiting at a distance of about 20 meters from the checkpoint. The soldier lets the taxi pass without inspection explaining that he only checks randomly. "It's not very smart to walk around here without a bullet-proof vest," one of the reservists says, as I get out of the vehicle, "someone who is not particularly fond of us can draw a gun and you can get hurt. You are important to me." The soldiers think that the task of MachsomWatch is to see to it that they treat the Palestinians fairly. They are surprised to hear that we object to the existence of checkpoints in the first place. In their view Jubara is what it is and we can't change that.


Two youths turn to us for help. Two horses have trotted over the Schoolchildren's Gate away to the security road. They can't go and get them because they are not allowed to pass through the gate. One of the youths says that being a minor he hasn't got an ID card. The soldier insists that they shouldn't have let the horses gallop freely and that they did it on purpose. (Why would they though? It's not likely that they would want to lose the two horses). Finally it is agreed that a military vehicle will chase the horses back to the village.

Anabt

14:40 – It's almost deserted. The passage is directed with the soldier's hand gesture.

We go on to Shavei Shomron and Beit Iba.


Qalqiliya

16:45 – There is a lot of traffic. In both directions cars pass following the soldier's hand gesture.