In part two of a four-part series, daily life in the West Bank reveals how checkpoints, travel restrictions and controls over religious and cultural life shape Palestinians’ experience of Israeli occupation.

In talking to Palestinians about the resentment over layers of economic restrictions, it was clear there was equally a deep anger about their effect on Palestinian society and their everyday lives. In a discussion with a group of Hebron University students I asked what the most challenging problem they faced was. Surprisingly, they all nominated restrictions on travel. Explaining their choice, they pointed to the 30 or so security barriers surrounding Hebron and around the special zone H2 (where an enclave of Jewish settlers lived). They were being closed, most often, in an utterly random manner, sometimes for hours but also for several days or even weeks when the IDF deemed there was a security risk. That necessitated use of a phone app to provide at least some real-time warning of what gates were open or closed. Even so, any trip to other towns or cities could have to be cancelled at short notice or subject to lengthy delays.

This was well illustrated later on my trip from Hebron to Ramallah, which should have taken two and a half hours (but which would have taken 45 minutes had my driver been an Israeli). ‘Should have’ are the operative words. On our way back from Ramallah, a random (and intensive) car-by-car check effectively closed our road for one and a half hours, making our trip time four hours.

The students also pointed out travelling outside Palestine could not be guaranteed even........

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