October 20, 2001

Trenches like these have became sadly familiar sights.

We accompanied the school busses again this afternoon as they took students back to Jenin. The journey was less lengthy than the last time, because we asked the right people where the road was open. Palestinian policemen lined the roads, staying away from police stations, which are frequently targeted by the Israeli military. At one point, we were descending towards the main road to Jenin from a dirt hill (the main road had been bulldozed up). Two Israeli tanks were on the move on the opposite hilltop, sending the children into equal fits of fright and intrigue. The same could be said for the teachers (us included), though we were less vocal about it. One teacher expressed her clear frustration with all of this nonsense - she's been patient and waiting for some kind of resolution, but for how long?

We entered Jenin by the main street, formerly the nicest street in the West Bank (apart from the settlers-only bypass roads). Tree-lined with wide, clean, smooth lanes, it was something noticeable amidst the poorly-paved roads around here. Now it has been scarred by the deep grooves of tank tracks. One trench that was dug, though it has been filled in with dirt by the municipality. A new trench was dug by military bulldozers this time, a most impressively-deep structure. What little traffic there was re-rooted around it through a side dirt road. Winter rains will mean stuck cars.

We returned to Zababdeh without incident, thankfully. The Vice-Principal awarded us with lunch for our efforts - stuffed eggplants in tomato sauce.