If they weren't shooting at Gilo, the left would be calling for giving back the settlements and blaming us for all the troubles. Therefore the shooting at Gilo is lucky for us, and it's a good thing the Palestinians don't understand this. At the entrance to the industrial zone of Neveh Dekalim we come up against a locked gate. Two reserve soldiers thoroughly ascertain our identities, and report over their communications equipment to the regional security coordinator. The latter demands that they find out whether we are Israelis or imposters.
Long minutes go by before the authorization to enter arrives.
Opposite us are a large garage and a few workshops, most of them deserted. The industrial zone is adjacent to Khan Yunis, and the main road common to Israelis and Palestinians suddenly forks and leads to the entrance to the Palestinian city. A few hours earlier, the mounds of rocks that accumulate there daily were cleared away. Palestinian flags fly over the houses, perhaps in protest against the Israeli flags flying opposite, a few meters away from each other. A fierce competition over who will be sovereign is raging in this hostile place.