22nd July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | al-Khalil, occupied Palestine
Every Friday, many Palestinian Muslims come to Ibrahimi Mosque for prayers. To get to their place of worship, and home afterwards, they must run a gauntlet of Israeli military checkpoints. The Israeli Border Police invest their time and effort into making this a difficult and challenging experience for people whose only purpose in coming is to worship God.
Palestinian Muslim worshipers coming from the Souq are forced to wait in a cage. How long this will take- or whether they will get in- depends on the soldier who controls the gate.
They are then forced to stand in a metal detector, as they are searched for weapons. Some are patted down and frisked.
Some people are lucky and are ignored or waved through.
Others are forced to show their documents and open their bags before being allowed in.
Others are humiliated and made to wait and stand against the wall as the Border Police hold their IDs. From a very young age, children experience this humiliation as well.
This elderly man tried to go to his home, but permission was denied. He had to take the long way around.
While Palestinians in Hebron are forced to run a series of checkpoints and humiliations, the settlers have no such worries. They can go wherever they want.
Stopping, harassing and humiliating people can be a tedious job. The Israeli Border Police manning the checkpoint relax with smokes and drinks.
What is a humiliating and demeaning ordeal for the Palestinian residents of Khalil is just another day on the job for them.