Chapter 8: Documents
4) 10th and 15. May.1994 - Telephone interviews with Mr, Abdallah Othman ,postmaster Jericho. Introduction : On May.10.1994 , I had a telephone conversation with Mr. Abdallah Othman , Jericho postmaster . Mr. Othmen described what happened on the LAST DAY of Israeli postal activity there . Following is the text of the interview , processed . Interview : On May.9.1994 , Mr. Yizhak Larom civil post staff officer of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) , arrived at Jericho post office . He was greeted by representative of the Pal. Auth. autonomous Government which came from Nablus , and the local postmaster . A list of all post office equipment was filed . The local postmark was taken by Mr. Larom , and a day later on the 10th of May the stock of Isr. stamps . Thereafter , the post office was locked and the key given to the Palestinian Governor of Jericho . ( A coil of Jericho registration labels was left at the office . It was the 1st coil with Reg. labels Nrs. 0001-1000 . The LAST DAY Reg. envelopes were prepared in Jerusalem , dated 9.May.1994 , carrying Reg. labels from the 5th coil , namely , 4001-5000 ) . Mr. Larom proposed that in the Interim period until the the full transfer of authority to the Palestinian Government the mail will be delivered as following : Incoming mail will arrive daily , by car , from Jerusalem , and distributed to residents by the local postman . Outgoing mail will cease operation on the 10th of May , since NO stamps nor postmark was available at the post office . An Israeli postal agency named " Adam Junction” is due to be open, probably on 20. May. 1994 , as to serve the residents of Jericho and the environment . Until its opening , postal charges will be collected in cash and the sum ,handwritten on the envelope . Affixing stamps and their cancellation will be done in Nablus . Alternative route was suggested by Mr. Larom , for the interim period . Collecting postal charges in cash at Jericho post , and delivering the envelopes to El-Aizariyah ,Jerusalem to be posted there . The forecast is that Jericho post will be opened again in 2-3 days . Second interview : On Sunday , 15.May.1994 , I managed to make contact again with Jericho post office , after several days in which No answer given . Mr. Abdallah Othman,answered and told me that on that same day , the 15th of May , he opened the post office . He does not have NO stamps NOR postmark - nothing . He is waiting , may be he will be provided with a rubber cachet , reading "Jericho post” , and then he might be able to send letters via Jerusalem - waiting ! ( In retrospect - NO such cachet was provided ) .
