CHECKPOINTS, LIMITATIONS and QUESTIONS

It is forbidden to take photos of checkpoints.  As we rounded the bend, I took some with my long camera lens before we actually got to the checkpoint.  The one pictured above is a bit of a puzzle.  It is not going from Palestine to Israel.  It actually is just going from Palestine to Palestine.  The following are accounts of what happened to us and facts about some of our road trips.

There are gas stations that serve Israeli settlers only.  No Palestinians allowed even though they are on mutually used roads

There are checkpoints into Jerusalem and other cities that are for Israelis only.  Rula and Sami didn't tell us, but when they took us to Jerusalem to drop us off, we went through one of the Israeli only checkpoints because it was closer.  Before we got to the checkpoint, Sami jumped into the back seat and I into the front.  Sami told Allie just to engage in conversation with him.....Rula told me to laugh as if we were telling jokes to take the soldiers eyes off the back seat.  It worked....we went through, but if we had been caught, it is an automatic 6 months jail sentence for Sami and Rula's license would have been revoked.  Glad we didn't know! 

In order for Sami to come to Jerusalem as our "guide" for the day, he had to have written permission from the Israelis.  He rode by taxi to the checkpoint.  Walked through the checkpoint through lines like cattle chutes (no room to turn around), was searched, got into a van to come into the city, the van was stopped and the individuals searched. 

When Allie and I got into a shuttle van to go to the airport  (Israeli/Hebrew because Arabs are not allowed in the airport in Tel Aviv) the van was stopped at the checkpoint even though it was Israeli.  A soldier got on, turned on the interior lights and shined his light into each of our races to make sure no undesirables were in the van. As we passed through, there were Palestinians in cages to the right of us trying to get through to go to work....I will never forget them looking at us through the windows.

 

The checkpoint above is a small one.  It is just a few soldiers and some chutes and cages.  Most of them have a tower with soldiers with semi-automatic rifles pointing out of the windows.  The towers are manned day and night.  Checkpoints can be closed as they wish.  Let's say you need to get to work in Bethlehem....the soldiers can say that Bethlehem is closed for the day, go home. 

Settlers had built just off the road and in the middle of a small town on the way to Bethlehem.  We saw some children throwing stones down at the settlement as we drove by.  They were yelling in Arabic, GO AWAY!  WE DO NOT WANT YOU HERE!  We heard POP POP POP.....Allie turned around in the back seat in time to see soldiers shooting at the children.  The soldiers were stationed in a tower protecting the settlement. 

As we went through the checkpoint above, we were in two cars.  Father Ibrahim in his collar was driving our car first.  Sami and the boys were following in the second car.  The soldiers saw Fr Ibrahim's attire and motioned him through.  They stopped Sami's car.  Father Ibrahim stopped our car, but was afraid to get out because the soldiers had their guns drawn.  They questioned Sami about why they were going to Bethlehem....and after so many questions, Sami gave them silence.  The boys from the back seat, frightened, yelled to the soldiers that they were following the priest in the car ahead.  After more tense minutes, they allowed them to pass.

We did not see the Western (wailing) Wall in the old city of Jerusalem.  Sami would have been arrested if he had gone there, so we decided that if our friend could not go, we didn't want to go to that tourist attraction either!

When we arrived at the airport at the beginning of our trip, we expected to see only Rula....but there stood Sami waving a sign that their boys had made.  We all hugged and then they said, we needed to get out of there....that Sami was there illegally.

There are roads for Israelis only....Palestinians must travel back roads and not "interstate" like highways.

Households in Nablus only get water flowing into their homes twice a week.  That's why they have those big black water tanks on top of their houses to collect and hold water.  Israeli settlers only a few meters away have unlimited water/electricity and even swimming pools. 

The first night as we drove past Harwarwa checkpoint in Nablus, only the tower was manned.  We were told 7 people had been killed at this checkpoint.  Three of them shot and killed were pregnant women trying to get through the checkpoint to hospitals on the other side of the wall to have their babies. 

Holy Land tours are offered abundantly to unsuspecting Americans.  Most only take visitors on the Israeli side of the wall.  If you request to go to Bethlehem (which is in Palestine)  you will be told that it is too dangerous.  It is not the Palestinian Authority that prohibits visitors to Palestine.  It is Israeli Law. 

I am only stating facts.  I am not embellishing any stories or accounts.  All of these statements only scratch the surface of what we saw and heard.