25.11,2014 Qalandiya and the attack at Hizma and Ora Ardon
25.11.2014 I actually did not want to go to Qalandiya…it was my conscience as I had not been for three weeks and also only once in that time to Hebron. Also my usual partner was not with me and Ora is 85 and I feel responsible for her. But she really wants to go out…..but thereby hangs a tale which will unfold. Going there was fine and though at the usual entrance the soldiers had barricaded the entrance and were sending people through another gate. But when I said I needed to get to the parking lot and I was Machsom he opened and let me through telling me to just drive slowly as the road was slippery.
When we got there it was pretty empty except for a couple with someone in a wheelchair. They said the soldier in the aquarium had phoned and someone would come with a key to let them through the humanitarian gate and in about 10 minutes we saw them going through and the other gate at the window also was opened immediately. It was very quiet there….I had actually phone Suleiman to check. He is a real gentleman. I brought him a very good jacket and when I bought my usual supply of sweets from him he did not want to take the money. But of course I insisted.
But going back was a different story. It was dusk already and had been a very rainy day. It took us ages even to get to the first roundabout but I did not think too much of that because this does happen but then afterwards when we got on the road to A-Ram the traffic hardly moved. I listened to the news and nothing was said. I eventually despaired. There was shooting, not that much, but we were sitting behind a lorry containing petrol and I had this horrible thought that if any form of fire or shot hit it…..you can imagine. Also I felt so bad about Ora. I could hear shots or grenades and see the fire cracker across the road and on the left hand side clouds of gas.
She made me even more nervous because she had no idea of where we were. She twice wanted to get out of the car….this in the pitch dark with cars pushing and shoving to somehow get in front of anyone in front of them and two accidents….and to walk to the soldiers to ask them to “get us out of this.”I nearly lost my cool but managed to say quietly and at that stage politely that under no circumstance was she to leave the car. I said first of all the soldiers were far away down the road, secondly she would endanger herself as an Israeli and an elderly woman and thirdly the soldiers would not leave their posts to extricate us even it were possible…..which is was not. It would have taken a battalion to get us out of that mess. Also she kept backseating me. She does not know the area and she could not see what was happening on the side of me where cars were trying to push in and she kept on, “So why don’t you go the this side” while I am completely hemmed in by the lorry in front of me and the car behind. “Why don’t you got through A-Ram” ….More dangerous for us than the main road and in any case you cannot get to Jerusalem from there. In fact she kept asking me where we were. Eventually I lost my cool and said to her with no politeness that she should please just leave me to drive as it was nerve-wracking enough without comments
Eventually as 7.20 I phoned Hanna Barag who said that there had been a terrorist attack at Hizme which was the direction that we were heading in and that I should go back to Qalandia. Which is what I did but in the rain and talk and also there the congestion of traffic I did not take the right road. I stopped at a garage where the young attendant started to explain to us and then said about a man standing there, “Take him. You do not have to be afraid. He is a doctor.” Ora said not to take him but at that stage I would have taken the devil himself to get out of there. He directed us to the checkpoint to Jerusalem and there again problems. The soldiers were polite but insisted on taking our IDs to check. The doctor by the way works in Tel Hashomer hospital and has a permit to go through. The soldiers directed my car on to the pavement saying they had to check which I do not accept as they also knew that we were Machsom. But as I said they were polite and I don’t see the point of getting into arguments.
Then one of these revolting security guards came from another direction with two soldiers. The two soldiers were already walking past when he started shouting at me that I was illegally there and where was my “waiver”( which excludes the army from any responsibility towards you. But this is only necessary in Area A.) I said I had no necessity for it as I was entitled to be there. It just shows though the hold that these security have over the younger soldiers. He kept shouting and stammering terribly. I am not being funny but he really looked as if he were not quite all there. Which I wish he had not been. Then he walked off saying loudly to the other two, “We will arrest them.” I thought to myself you just go ahead and do that.
Then Ora in spite of my objections got out saying that she was going to tell the soldiers that they had no right to hold us and that she had fought in the War of Independence.
And the doctor followed her and I heard them both being shouted at to get back into the car and I put my head in my hands thinking that they were all I needed to make my life complete. She said that when she had demanded to speak to the captain the mercentary jeered at her saying, “We are all captains here.” But a few minutes later a very polite soldier came with our IDs, spoke very pleasantly to Ora and also had a chat in Arabic with the doctor.
I took Ora to her home which was also a story but not to go into. I walked into the house at 8.30.