A happy ending

Bus crossing Jubara Checkpoint

The Palestinian village of Jubara is in the "seam zone" (between the Israeli separation barrier and the Green Line). On school days the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education pays for a bus to take them from their village through the Jubara Checkpoint to attend school in al-Ras, just up the hill on the east side of the barrier.

On the morning I was there, the students did not have to get off the bus at the checkpoint, but the EAs who monitor it regularly told me that sometimes the soldiers make them get off just to harass them. It is apparently at the soldiers' discretion.

Bus arriving at school

We followed the bus to the al-Ras school, where it arrived without incident a few minutes later. The 200 students held their opening ceremonies outside, in formation by classes, with songs, prayer, and flag-raising.

School formation for opening exercises

Flag raising

Although the al-Ras school serves grades 1-12, primary school students from Jubara don't have to come there because they have their own new school in Jubara.

New primary school in Jubara (beige building with wall)

There is a happy ending for this story. We learned from our driver/translator that Israel has already begun to implement a decision to move the separation barrier west to the Green Line in this section, so that there will be no checkpoint between Jubara and al-Ras. I don't know the reason for Israel's decision, but it is good news for the Palestinians.