August 15, 2003

Checkpoints are everywhere, making Palestinian daily life nigh impossible.

We left Ramallah in the early afternoon with our Zababdeh friend to go back north. Being a West Banker, she's not allowed to go out through Qalandia - even though it's now the departure point for all West Bank taxis, only those with Jerusalem permissions can pass (despite the Jerusalem checkpoints further down the road). We caught the taxi in the Ramallah garage and headed back towards Birzeit. There was a checkpoint at the outskirts of Birzeit. After a quick conversation with the soldier, we were turned back. We then retraced yesterday's path through Taybeh, passing through the villages of Jifna, 'Ayn Siniya, Dura al-Qar', 'Ayn Yabroud, Bittin, Deir Dubwan, Rammun, and then Taybeh.

We arrived at a bulldozed road where the soldier sitting on the other side waves us away. We got out to plead our case. We wanted to go from West to East, across the intersection. Palestinian taxis were crossing from North, South, and East, but we were coming from the West. The soldier helpfully argued that we could simply get out of the taxi and walk across. We turned back, passing back through Taybeh, Deir Jarir, and Kufr Malik, before getting back to the same intersection - this time from the North. The same soldiers were there and didn't even stop to glance at the taxi. An hour detour for that - you begin to wonder what this is all about. We were clearly able to get around, and didn't even have to drive through olive groves or ditches to do so. It was just about getting across at that point. What was yesterday's headline? "Israel agrees to ease Palestinian daily conditions." We have yet to see it.

We arrived at the Hamra checkpoint, taking our place in line. A taxi was pulled over to the side, the driver waving to Marthame. We know him, but didn't know why he was waving. then Sister Elba, one of Zababdeh's Rosary Sisters, stuck her head out. Marthame walked up, the soldiers asking him what he was doing. Marthame ignored them, greeting the folks in the Zababdeh-bound taxi. Apparently Sister Elba was not being let through because she had an Israeli ID (she's from the Galilee). Normally, religious orders are granted special permission to pass, but sometimes you find this stubbornness. Fr. Aktham had already called the DCO and they promised to resolve the situation. Marthame decided to wait behind, since Fr. Aktham was going to Mass and would be unavailable. The soldiers continued to try and send her away (and Marthame as well), but they persisted until finally the DCO called. Do we have to get UN intervention for a nun to cross a checkpoint? It feels like it.

We got back to Zababdeh and visited with friends in the cool evening air.