by Edward Kaprov
...route...
Palestinians walking above the route 60 from Jerusalem to Nablus. In front of Palestinian Village Mukhamas in the Horizon.
The Zone is a very complicated system of traps, and they’re all deadly... Rules that apply outside The Zone are no longer valid inside...I don’t know what’s going on here in the absence of people, but the moment someone shows up, everything comes into motion. Old traps disappear and new ones emerge. Safe spots become impassable. Now your path is easy, now it’s hopelessly involved. That’s the Zone. I think it lets those pass who… have lost all hope. Not good or bad, but wretched people. But even the most wretched will die if they don’t know how to behave. -Stalker (1979) A.Tarkovsky
Jewish Mom and her daughter in Jewish settlement, Sde Boaz, above the route 60 southern from Jerusalem.
אשליה של חיבור
Illusion of connectedness
طبارتلا مهو
Jewish settler on Shilo Hill antique
“route 60” is the main artery of West Bank. Following an ancient path along the hilly region’s watershed, countless of nomads, pilgrims, merchants, refugees and armies have traveled upon it throughout history. Yet, while route 60 connects past and present, it also hides historical truths and present realities. Creating an illusion of connectedness, progress and mobility, the road separates worlds that exist side by side. When these worlds do meet, it often occurs under tragic circumstances
Near Hizme Block Post from Jerusalem to Ramallah. View to Shuafat refugee camp and separate wall through the rusty signboard that towering on the hill above.
Old Part of route 60 that runs several meters above the new one. Near Neve Daniel settlement. Gush Azion area. southern from Jerusalem.
Along the visible and invisible sideways of the road, I tried to understand the role of the past in the present and the sad absurdity of forgetting the future.
שטח הפקר Terra Nullius
بحاص الب نیمزرس
Tomb of Sheikh Abed al-Slam and unfinished part of separate wall that near Shuafat refugee camp from north part of Jerusalem. Near Hizme Block Post from Jerusalem to Ramallah..
Watchdog at Jewish settlement Alon More on the background of Nablus.
This historical path runs through the hills of ‘Judea
and Samaria’ area, from the ancient times of Abraham. Mentioned in the Old Testament it is called “The Way of the Patriarchs” and Biblical Patriarchs had walked it. It follows along the central watersheds from BeerSheba to Nazareth. Most of the territory it crosses is what is considered the Israeli-occupied territories of today. On both sides the path hosts Jewish settlements and Arab Palestinian villages; its steep curves witnessing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the land. Biblical Judea and Samaria, known today to the world
by the term ‘West Bank’. This territory (West of Jordan River) was given for the Palestinian state formation, by United Nations Partition Plan. During 1948 Arab-Israeli War, it was occupied by Transjordan (Jordan after occupation) with following annexation. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, West Bank was seized by Israel from Jordan. Although, the territory was not annexed by Israel. In 1988 Jordan officially relinquish its claim to the area. Till today it’s has remaining ‘terra nullius’ under Israeli military control .
International observer in Hebron, in Jewish part, against the graffiti wall that separate Hebron to H1(Israeli control) and H2 ( Palestinian control)zones .
Foreign journalist at Qalandia check point at the entrance to Ramallah. During fryday protest.
אלף בית של סכסוך
The ABC of Conflict بحاص ةيدجبألا عارصلا
Israeli soldiers shooting rubber bullets to instigators of the Frayday protest demonstration. Qalandia chek point that leads from Jerusalem to Ramallah
As a result of Oslo interim accords, the Palestinian Authority was formed and Israel withdrew its military rule from some parts of the West Bank. The area was divided into three administrative sections:Area A, B and C The largest one (60%), was defined as C – under full Israeli control. The areas A and B are fragmentally scattered and often isolated from each other by C. On the map the Palestinian Authority looks like Quilt of “A,B,C patches”. In the field you never know where you are.
The complications following the Al-Aksa Intifada (started in September 2000) completed its spin. Route 60 became a central scene of violence. The Israeli Army has fortified various sections with anti-sniper walls and had established checkpoints along the route. The construction of separation wall divided West Bank from Israeli Territory. Detours around Palestinian villages were built by Israel to reduce fractions and violence. This caused even more fracture in the mobility between various parts of the road.
Palestinian protester beating tear gas grenade. Qalandia chek point during weekly Frayday protest demonstration.
Foreighn press reporters after gap of tear gas grenade.Qalandia chek point during weekly Frayday protest demonstration.
The construction of separation wall divided West Bank from Israeli Territory. Detours around Palestinian villages were built by Israel to reduce fractions and violence. This caused even more fracture in the mobility between various parts of the road.
The separate wall that buffer Palestinian Beithlehem from the route 60
Đžcclusion . Last part of separate fence on the South part of the territory. Between Ashalim jewish settlement and palestinian village Ramadin.
Israeli -Bedouin worker at the ast part of separate fence on the South part of the territory. Between Ashalim jewish settlement and palestinian village Ramadin.
Jewish near northern block post leading out from Jerusalem to Ramallah.
This project stresses the absurd consequences of “Peace Process�, which has led to a deadlock for twenty years.
Palestinian with his ships at the blocked route that cut of from main road. Near Beith El settlement. North of Jerusalem .
Palestinian Falah(farmer) with his donkey, on local route near Deir Ballut, Ramallah district
I started the photographic project of Route 60 in2010 with a quest of finding the root cause of this conflict. Born in the “eternal” Soviet Empire, I left it in 1992 following its demise. I’m trying to find loosen valuables and feeling of home in his Jewish “motherland,” I migrated. However, wandering on route 60 I discovered that I have left one national Utopia only to join another fragile utopia, where fantasies, pains, and hopes mingle to create a nostalgia that lays heavy upon the present and shrouds the future in darkness. Working as an Israeli based photojournalist, I covered many spot events of the conflict. Yet it has not provided any answers. I went out on route 60 to find answers from people on both sides. Not interested in news style coverage, I avoided taking images of single events, taken out of their time line. My goal was to take a step above and penetrate the philosophical dimension of conflict’s reality. Wandering back and forth on “The Way of the Patriarchs”, I talked to Jews and Palestinians. I’ve learned about their daily routine and listened to their Ideals.
The project became my search for personal and nationalredemption amidst the impossible realities of violence, beauty and paths not taken.
לשכוח את העתיד
Forgetting the future لبقتسملا نايسن
Israeli soldier, and civilians on the road side, against the wall separate from BeithLehem.
The visual facts along the road concluded the fiction of both Ideas - Palestinian Authority and Israel. Along the visible and invisible sideways of the road, I tried to understand the role of the past in the present and the sad absurdity of forgetting the future. The mission of this project became to capture the Absurd, to counter the “bubble” realities in which my heroes live. The Utopia worlds on both sides, authors their own definitions and meanings for the land they inhabit. My camera piles the layers of ancient history, the Palestinian Liberation idea, Jewish Faith and idea of Zi-
onism into single images. Locked in the world of their truth, my protagonists reflect nostalgia of high Ideas, which deny real circumstances. The Idea of possible compromise exists in the realm of Logic but dwells as Utopia in the uncompromising reality. As I wonder through route 60 metaphor, witnessing the jealous love to this Holly Land. I absorb that any solution would require painful re-rendering of “utopia” on both sides.
Hebron. Israeli Soldier check post that divides Hebron city to H1(Israeli control) and H2(Palestinian control)zones .
Arab civilians and Israeli soldiers on Route 60 at the exit from Palestinian village Beit Umar .
Palestinian worker on murble manufactory. on route 60 between Bayt Umar ahd refugee camp El-Arub
Jewish woman, settler in front of her Mobile home at the Esh Kodesh settlement. Mount above Shilo valley. The way from Jerusalem to Nablus
View from Samaria Hill (near Paduel settlement) through Palestinian village Deir Ballut West to Tel Aviv. The sign on right down affirm about military presence (the sign says “firing line 100 meter ahead for no more that two marksmen�).
Palestinian Falah(farmer) climbing out from the antique well in the Khan Lubban On old part of route 60 near Nablus.
Palestinian old woman at the home entrance. The Jewish graffiti on it says “Seculars against the Arabs�
Palestinian and International observer in Hebron H1 area, in Jewish control part,
As I wonder through route 60 metaphor, witnessing the jealous love to this Holly Land. I absorb that any solution would require painful re-rendering of “utopia” on both sides.
View on Jewish settlement Eli near Nablus. The red tile roof of Jewish settlements, so untypical for the region, looks like “ a drop in the bucket” on antique Judea and Samaria hills