Words I have learned in other languages: החיילים (Soldiers) and زيتون (Olives)

Every week I go with Machsom Watch to different checkpoints throughout the West Bank. Each week we start at an agricultural checkpoint and stand for an hour as the gate is opened from 1 pm - 2 pm, one of the three hours it is open each day for Palestinians who work on their land on the Israel side of the Green Line to cross back and forth. Usually the soldiers are not interested in talking or engaging with us, and usually they seem 18. But on Sunday, for some reason, they were extra chatty both with us and with the people waiting to cross. These soldiers were reservists and they seemed bored and unentertained by having to be there, so were trying to make the best of what for them is part of a month long reserve service they would rather not be doing. I was taking pictures and one of them noticed and posed for a photo, making what I would like to think is a peace sign.


In my non-West Bank life, I meet so many soldiers and former soldiers who are still serving reserve service. Guys in their late 20s who I meet at bars, who are friends of friends, who I have a beer with, go to the beach with, dance with and talk with. I stood there on Sunday wondering if I had met these guys, or if I might meet them on Thursday for my friend's birthday party in Tel Aviv. Wondering if there would come a time when I would show up at a checkpoint and recognize the soldier holding the gun, the soldier checking the school bus, the soldier asking me why I was standing there. The whole situation was incredibly weird and it felt like they, we, and all the Palestinians waiting to cross through the gate were at an awkward middle school social rather than at a checkpoint.



Thankfully, before I could get too existential in the moment, we left the checkpoint and headed to Jamal's to say hi and to buy some of the world's most delicious olive oil. Seriously, I don't think I can ever eat normal olive oil again. This was literally fresh off the press. Mmmmmm....Some photos are below:



The olives going up to be pressed, Jamal's son watching




Oil coming out of the tanks, scrumptious!!



Unclear what is happening here, something about using
the leftover part of the olives for something else. Looked
like it would make a good olive tapenade to me!