For Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and apartheid, driving comes with more dangers than you can imagine.
Travel restrictions are among the most incapacitating consequences of Israel’s military occupation — so extreme that the very idea of travelling has become a phobia for many. And if you’ve spent days in lockdown trying to get in and out of Gaza, as Emad Moussa has, you know how these fears prey on all Gazans.
Ahmad Al-Bazz reports from the Eyal checkpoint in the West Bank where Palestinian workers are forced into dangerous, overcrowded conditions as they attempt to cross Israeli checkpoints.
Palestinian social media erupted over the weekend as people expressed their outrage over a leaked video showing and Israeli border police officer shooting a Palestinian in the back as the man walked away from the officers, his hands raised in the air.
Every year during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Israeli authorities approve a package to “relax” the restrictions on movement for West Bank Palestinians to facilitate worshippers’ trips to Jerusalem. As a result, tens of thousands of Palestinians headed to Qalandiya checkpoint, Bethlehem 300 checkpoint, and Zaytoun checkpoint early on Friday mornings to take advantage of the unusual regulations. Ahmad Al-Bazz reports from Qalandiya and Bethlehem to show what life under Israel control looks like.
“I drive through more than 15 checkpoints,” per day, Mahmoud Ali tells Mondoweiss. “That means they take away my freedom 15 times and give it back to me 15 times. My freedom is in their hands, not my hands.”
Checkpoint 300 blocks the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem for Palestinians. Many western tourists pass through the checkpoint on day trips to visit the holy sites in Bethlehem, but very few see the experiences of Palestinians who face inhumane conditions and Israeli interrogation just to get to work. In 2016, Peter Morgan spent many early mornings there observing and recording the treatment of Palestinian workers. Here is what he saw.