BEIT IBA , Tuesday 20 July 2004 PMObservers: Rachel B., Vered K., Petahia A., Yael (guest), Tzila L., Ada R. (reporting) colour= red> We encountered no unannounced checkpoints on our way to Beit Iba. When we arrived at 14:30, we were greeted with good news by taxi drivers from Tulkarm. After our efforts of two weeks ago, and the hasty meeting we convened between M. and the “detained” taxi drivers – the attitude changed and now, according to them, they are no longer persecuted and the taxis of Tulkarm drivers are no longer confiscated. One driver was detained, but his keys and taxi were not taken and it seems to have been an isolated incident. However, they say that at Anabta the checkpoint is blocking the road again [for a short while, the barrier here was removed].There were 15 detainees [held pending security cross-checks on their ID details by the General Security Services (GSS, also known, from the Hebrew acronym, as the Shabak or Shin Bet), a process that can take some considerable time, especially if the checkpoint soldiers do not notify the GSS as each case comes through, but instead wait until they have several ID cards. During this time, the detainees, generally men between the ages of 16 and 30 or 35, are virtually prisoners at the checkpoints since the soldiers hold their ID cards until clearance comes through from the GSS]. The line of people going through, after each had been checked, was not long. Camouflage netting shade had been provided in the detainees’ area and there was also some shade in the line itself. Most of the detainees were students from Nablus who wanted to go home (although it wasn’t Wednesday), whether because they live close by and don’t sleep over in Nablus or because they’re high school students who went to Nablus to enrol at university [the Palestinian university week runs from Saturday to Wednesday — since Friday is the Moslem day of rest; the Israel army has an arrangement with the University of an-Najah in Nablus whereby registered students carrying student cards may travel out of Nablus on Wednesdays and return on Saturdays generally speking without having any problems at the various checkpoints]. One was a student from Nablus who wanted to find out what had happened to his home at Barta’a [the Israel army this week razed to the ground several houses in this village half of which is in Israel, while the other half is in the Occupied Territories].The soldiers had orders not to talk to us but the commander, M., and his superior officer, H., were cooperative. M. was humane as usual and tried to get people through efficiently, while strictly observing the unwritten regulations he’s received. When the line lengthened and pressure increased, bringing with it the danger of active rebellion, we pointed out to M. that the older people had been waiting an unnecessarily long time, and immediately afterwards another checking position was opened up and older men went through fast. Forty minutes after our arrival, 10 of the detainees were released.There is a problem with holders of Israeli ID cards . If they are Israeli Arabs they are treated like inhabitants of the Occupied Territories. The army detains them, checks them with the GSS etc. This is legally prohibited, but when I pointed this out, they said the legal alternative was to summon the Israeli police who would impose heavy fines on those trying to go through, because they are not permitted to enter Area A of the Palestinian Authority. The problem posed by contacts between Palestinian Arabs with Israeli citizenship and population centres in the West Bank is a humanitarian one that needs to be addressed.Two women whose ID cards “look suspicious” joined the detainees. They and about seven other detainees were released after about half an hour