Day v: On the Renovation of Occupation

Nearing Kalandia’s checkpoint, the wall accompanies our bus ride. Sitting next to the window seat, and neck craned upwards, aiming for a clear October sky, but failing to see the clouds for the wall is high. The famous checkpoint, known as the site for many confrontations, deaths, traffic jams, anger frenzies, and births too (not few women gave birth on the checkpoint). First, a huge, bare roundabout greets us. One thing can be said for sure: concrete, cement and grey. It is ugly as hell. Confounded in this atmosphere, hope is lost; every speck of it. Crossing the checkpoint is relatively easy, or better said, physically easier: it only requires five inconvenient minutes of walking in metal-railed alleys, and going through two turnstile doors, maybe enduring the bad smell and the feeling of suffocation. After one is past the “border”, one is no more free for that matter. Long barricades pave the way to what is thought to be outside- but it is only an illusion- it is moving from one prison to another.

However, all aforementioned description is very gloomy indeed. It is not fair, for the Israeli side. So one has to say that once crossing the checkpoint, one notices the construction work taking place. The huge, purposeless roundabout is gone, a huge heap of stones are in its place, and stillness. after inquiring about the reason/nature of this: they are renovating the checkpoint- they said.

Dear readers, occupation too cares for the well-being of its inmates, it improves walls and tarnishes them with bright colors.