This morning I accompanied members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams as they went on their early morning school patrol in Hebron. Palestinian children were on their way to take exams and CPT stations themselves throughout the city as witnesses. While at checkpoints and other areas throughout the city, they make their presence known to the Israeli soldiers and settlers in the area by wearing bright red caps and record the number of children who are checked and/or detained on their way to school.
This morning was calm and chilly. A slow trickle of students made their way through the checkpoint, many setting off the metal detector inside. It did not, appear, however that any of the students were pulled aside and checked more thoroughly. It should be noted, too, that only Palestinians coming toward the nearby Israeli settlement, as the children were, had to go through the checkpoint. Palestinians walking away from the checkpoint could pass through via a small walkway on the left side of the street, as pictured below.
I asked one of the Israeli soldiers, who introduced himself as Yuda, if they check the children on their way to school. He said “No”. “Never”. I then asked why the children were forced to go through the checkpoint at all. He mildly shrugged and didn’t offer an answer. In an effort to change the subject, I asked him how much longer he had in the army and what he planned to do after he was out. He said that he only had one month left and then he wanted to go into social work to help children and the poor. I asked hopefully, “Palestinian children?”. A quick shake of his head was followed by “In Israel”. I asked if he thought it would be a good gesture for a former Israeli soldier to do social work to help Palestinian children. He seemed to shrug and nod as if to say “I don’t know. Maybe.” After this brief conversation, Yuda retired to a small chamber in the checkpoint where he waved through the next wave of kids from behind bulletproof glass.
Being a freelance photographer gives me a degree of freedom that might not otherwise be possible. However, that also means that I am often forced to finance my own projects. If you enjoy my work, please consider making a donation.
Shawn Duffy is a freelance commercial photographer and photojournalist based in the Washington, DC Metro area. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, he is a self-taught photographer who has decided to merge his passion for photography with his intense interest in the world around him. From the bustling streets of Bangalore, India, to the refugee camps of occupied Palestine, Shawn strives to create images and tell stories that compel others to act.
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