By Eileil and Eyal Shani
How does it feel to stand and wait in front of a checkpoint? How does it feel to reach the checkpoint? And what's going on there? This is the 45th day of the war in Gaza and many things have changed since October 7th. Until then, the "blockades" were an experience far from us, one that we only heard about in stories from our Palestinian friends. Now it has become an experience that is a part of life, at least for those who come to the villages of the south of Mount Hebron. A difficult daily experience. One that raises thoughts.
The first time we met a "checkpoint" ourselves was about two weeks ago. It happened at one of the main intersections in the south of Mount Hebron, when we returned from a day of distributing food and medicine in the surrounding villages. There were three men standing there, in IDF uniforms, with weapons, although from the way they were dressed - with two of them also wearing masks over their entire faces - it was not entirely clear if they were soldiers. The tassels sticking out of their uniforms indicated that they were religious. We had already heard from the locals about The phenomenon of "settlers in uniform" - residents from the surrounding settlements, who volunteered for the army during the war, to guard the area close to their homes. The locals said that in most cases they do not behave like soldiers - they speak badly, delay the vehicles arriving at the checkpoint for no reason and seem to do whatever they like with no consideration or human respect.
One of them - an elderly man, with grey hair, wearing a kipa cap, stopped us. We greeted him with peace and he just said sternly: "IDs please!" The truth is that we were a little surprised. As Israelis, Jews, adults, we are used to wherever there are security personnel, we have no problem passing and we have never been asked for IDs. Of course, we saw that this is being asked of Palestinians, of young people, but not of us. The logic so far has been simple - in the place where they check - they look for people who may harm, hurt, harm. But logic has apparently not been present here for a few weeks. We simply gave him our IDs, thinking that once he saw our "identity" he would let us continue driving.
"Where are you from?" Ask.
"From Meitar " we answered.
"What are you doing here?"
At this moment, thoughts crossed our minds and we exchanged glances between us - wait, what's going on here? Does he have the authority to interrogate us? We are driving on the road, legally, we have not done anything illegal. But upon quickly understanding the situation we knew - he is a "settler in uniform" who identifies the "leftists" who came to help the Palestinians in the area, so we answered him: "we are traveling in the area".
"Wait here on the side, until someone who is responsible arrives," he said and motioned to the other two soldiers who, at a glance, we realized that they were standing with their weapons pointed in our direction!
A few minutes passed and we came to our senses; According to the law, only a policeman or a soldier in a suitable position is allowed to ask for IDs, to detain us, and even then he has to identify himself and explain to us the reason for the delay. But in the current situation, when weapons are pointed in our direction, it does not seem that these claims will help us.
After some time of waiting and realizing that it was already quite late, I (Eileil) got out of the vehicle and asked the same settler: "How long will it take?"
The answer was: "As long as it takes!"
"I have to get home by five o'clock, I have cancer and I have to take my medicine on time."
"Wait patiently!" was the answer.
I went back to the car and Eyal got out and explained the situation to him. The answer was: "Then stop walking around here in our territory between our legs!".
In front of us, there was another vehicle that was also delayed. Next to him stood an elderly Jewish man. When we asked him if he was also being detained, he replied: "Yes, I too have been detained for a long time." "Do you know why?", and he answered: "Because I'm leftish. Just like you."
We are really in trouble, we thought. Not just right now. at all. Even the day after the war. This settler is sure to be the sovereign here on the ground, above the Palestinians of course, but also above us! Maybe the day after the war, people with opinions like ours will no longer be able to move around freely and go anywhere, and those who will set the law here will be like this settler.
The time goes by and I (Eyal) decided that it did not seem to me legaly of the situation. I texted a message about our situation to a senior military officer in the area. A few minutes later the soldier-settlers received a message and let us pass.
In a few other cases, after this first encounter with the "checkpoints", it was already easier with the communication, because we understood that it is better to issue a permit to enter the area on a humanitarian basis, because that is what we do - distribute food, diapers, medicine and other necessary supplies to people in remote villages . At the same time, even every time we are stopped at the checkpoint, we have to wait until they confirm the fact that we are allowed to walk around the area. So apparently there is nothing to fear, but the thought that continues to bother us is - where are we heading to in this country? What will life look like here after the war and who will set up the rules?
Talking with the Palestinians in the area, we realized that the "checkpoints" phenomenon has now increased greatly - there are many, in all kinds of places, sometimes even at the entrance to their villages. A family with whom we have been friends for many years told us that on the way back to their village, they were stopped at such a checkpoint. They were on their way back from the hospital, where they had gone to check the woman's pregnancy, who is in the last weeks of pregnancy. There were three of them in the car - the pregnant woman, her husband and their young son, about four years old. They were delayed for a whole hour. They took the licenses, the cell phones, the car key. Since the man spoke Hebrew, he tried to understand why they were being held back. They drove on the road where it is allowed to drive, in a vehicle with all the licenses, to the hospital in the city, for a medical check-up. He did not receive an answer to his question, they only told him - "Wait here!" After that hour, they returned his licenses and cell phone and told him to "go!".
"But you have my car keys," he said, "I can't start without them."
"It's not our problem," they answered him.
After he asked again, one of the soldiers rudely threw his car keys on the floor and told him: "Get out of here quickly, get out of our sight."
When we heard the story from the family we were very upset. These people who want to live in peace. in good. They work hard for their living and have many Israeli friends. Why are they treated like this? Because of the security situation, we have to stop every vehicle and check it and the people? its OK. to be checked. Do you have to wait until some kind of approval is received for the move? OK, if there is no choice, they will wait. They are already used to checkpoints. to wait. But why the contemptuous attitude? What does it give? Where are we going as a society?
A few days ago there was a case, at one of the checkpoints, in which we intervened. A few hundred meters after we passed the checkpoint, we met friends we know from one of the villages sitting in a car. newlywed. The woman is in her first pregnancy. They told us that she had stomach cramps, bleeding and was worried about pregnancy, so they were on their way to the hospital for an examination, but they saw the checkpoint and they were afraid that the soldiers would shoot at them. We offered our help.
I (Eileil) walked back to the checkpoint. One soldier approached me and then two more. I explained the situation to them. "No problem," said one of them, "we have a medic here, he can see the woman."
"With all the respect," I said, "it's a situation of risk of pregnancy and in such a situation it's completely clear that she needs to see a gynecologist. That's why they're on their way to the hospital."
" Do you Understand, there was an attack not long ago near here, so all the roads in the area are closed ?"
I already knew about the attack, which happened in the morning, in a place located a few tens of kilometers from where we were, outside the area of southern Mount Hebron. I said that I understand that they have to do their job, but even in situations like this, urgent medical cases need to be answered.
"Ok," answered one who was in a senior position, "Tell them to come to the checkpoint and let them pass. But only one accompanies the woman on the trip."
I tried to explain that it was complicated. The woman in the Palestinian culture must be accompanied by a man from the family, in this case her husband, and the car is driven by a person who is not from the family. This is his car and he works as a taxi driver. The couple themselves do not own a car.
The answer was sharp: "Sorry. This is the procedure. Only one attendant and if not - then no pass at all."
I explained again the situation to the couple. They hesitated. On one side was the medical condition and on the other was the traditional culture and the attitude of respect for women. With no choice, because of the woman's medical condition, her husband got out of the car and waited in our car. She drove to the checkpoint with only the driver and me. After translating between the soldiers and them and seeing that things were working out, I returned to our vehicle. We brought her husband back to his village and felt his heavy heart. We thought of that woman in a state of risk of pregnancy who had to travel alone to the hospital. Regardless of culture and the concepts of "preserving women's dignity", if we were in a similar situation, how would we feel? Does the woman go to the hospital unaccompanied by her partner in such a situation?
We walked around all that day with this woman in our thoughts. We prayed that the pregnancy was fine, that she was fine. In the evening we called her husband to ask how she was. We were relieved when we heard that she returned home in the evening and that she and the fetus are fine. In our hearts we carry the hope that her memory of that event at the checkpoint will be that within her great fear, apprehension, and helplessness in front of the soldiers, there was also empathy and help. Or in other words - that we are not all the same. that next to the non-human attitude there is also a human one. that along with the unpleasant, abusive attitude there is also kindness.
Since we wrote these lines there have already been several night searches in all the houses in one village, children who woke up in fear and waited outside the cave in the cold of the night, a few hours until the soldigers finished turning their whole house into one salad of clothes, flour, oil, toys, and household equipment mixed and broken together. A few more cars were confiscated, a few more people were detained, a few more demolitions of houses by the civil administrator, a few more Jewish pogroms and destruction of equipment and intimidation by the settlers... and the list is too long to contain......
Today on the way back, we stopped by a place where until recently a local shepherd family lived. In the place where the Israeli flag was flying - it was difficult for me to leave it there and I took it out of the ruins - I am not proud of our flag which commemorates the hardness of the heart, and the insensitivity to human life - there is another place where we can present our togetherness and not rudely commemorate the inability to recognize the freedom and life of the other.
The war continues, but so does the peace bearing. The checkpoints are there, everywhere, but luckily we manage to pass them equipped with the desire to connect, to a good neighborly life.
We continue to go out into the South Mount Hebron, loaded with food, diapers and medicine, and now also with firewood for the cold winter -bought thanks to your donations.
This is the place to thank everyone who has supported so far - thank you very much!
So anyone who wants to donate so we can continue this giving