Hawwara, Monday 15.8.2005 PMObservers: Merav A. Riva B. Irit (guest) Daphna P. (reporting)Natanya translating.14.30 Za’atra: No cars from the west. From the North 20. Besides the soldiers there is also a “blue” policeman, staff sergeant S. When we arrived, G. a Palestinian from Hawarra approaches very upset and frustrated and asked our help with two fines which he had just received from the policeman. He had taken the son of relatives who needed medical attention in his taxi and had not strapped him in at the back because of a pain in the stomach. While he was giving his documents for checking at the checkpoint the policeman notice this and gave him a 100 shekel fine. When he tried to explain the policeman gave him another fine because he had interfered with the work of a public servant and gave him a further 500 shekel fine. Riva went to the policeman but the only answer she got was “You are not an attorney and I do not have to give you an answer.” He then would not allow us to stand in the area of the checkpoint and to try to find out from the soldiers what had happened, also from A. from the DCO. We call the attention of the policeman to the fact that in all the cars with Israeli number plates that are passing many people are not strapped in and do not get a report but he just says “I cannot catch them all.” He also explains to us that because he has been in the area many years he understands the situation there much better than we do. G. is very frustrated. If this has been an Arab state he would expect this but in a Jewish state he does not expect something like this we advise him to go to court to try to cancel the fine. A religious man who has been standing listening to all this at the trampiada tries to console G. with stories of fines that Jews have received. He explains to him that he himself has received many fines because of not using seat belts. We say bitterly that probably he had tried to get the report cancelled many times but had not received a further fine of 500 shekel for doing so. He agreed but said that a week ago the police had really beaten up someone at the checkpoint and he would prefer to get a fine rather than get beaten up. G. explains to him bitterly that there is a difference between the two of him, 500 shekel as an Arab is for him 10 days work. If he cannot feed his children at home he prefers to be beaten up rather than to pay such a sum. We give him our phone number but hear later that a senior policeman who came to the checkpoint had also refused to cancel the fine. 15.15 Hawarra: Very little traffic at the checkpoint and also few pedestrians. Here also there is a “blue” policeman who explains to us that in the days of the disengagement there are police everywhere in case of disruptions on the part of the settlers. We have trouble finding the commander of the post, סגמ א . During the time that we are there he is too busy on the phone to answer our questions.16.00- Riva and Irit go to Beit Furik. Still at Hawarra we notice a Palestinian of about 40 standing at the shed of the soldiers in the middle of the road. We try to find out from the commander why he is there. A. says that there was an incident with one of the soldiers and so he is being questioned. Evidence is being taken from all those involved. It is hard to understand from him what is happening and he allows us to speak to the man himself. He tried to pass one of the lanes of the checkpoints and evidently did something against the rules and was therefore detained. When he tried to pass by force a soldier hit him with his weapon and hurt his hand and he shows us his left hand bandaged. The medic who was called did not come and so the local ambulance medic bandaged it for him. We do not hear more because a police jeep starts hooting at us to stop talking to the man. The driver of the jeep scolds us and says “Don;’t you know you may not talk to detainees” and says that he will have us accused of hindering the investigation or hindering a public servant in his work “I don’t know what to call it.” In opposition to the situation with the soldiers every conversation with the police seems to end in failure because of their “;masterly” attitude and the excessive use of their authority to stop us doing anything at all. The detainee, P. was detained for an hour and only in the last 15 minutes was he allowed to sit. Then he was taken to be questioned at a police station. We asked S. the policeman who accompanied him to see to his medical state.16.30- A bus which had papers to travel on the line of Tulkarm and Kalandia is not allowed to enter Nablus with its passengers. These go on foot to Nablus. The driver tries in vain to explain to the commander that his company is in Nablus and that he goes in and out often but in vain.16.30-17.15- A few young detainees ..the reason unclear. The commander says they want to ask them some questions. These are asked by a soldier in a jeep whom we cannot see on the other side of the road. Another soldier calls the detainees one by one and accompanies them to the jeep. He taps them in a friendly way on their shoulder which does not seem in keeping with the situation. We think this is another attempt to engage collaborators but none of the young men will confirm this and hurry on their way once freed.17.45- We leave the checkpoint. Beit Furik.Observers. Riva B. Irit (reporting).16.30 -17.30- No special delays. One detainee from Beit Furik, living there the last 10 years but has a Jordanian passport which expired a week ago. It is hard to understand from him if he ever had a Palestinian id and what happened to it . But evidently he had gone into Nablus to have his passport renewed by the Jordanian representative. On his way home and with no valid document he was detained. The soldiers call for the police who are busy at Hawarra with another incident. Sergeant A. arrives , the mp of the company, and tried to deal with the matter himself. He acts with consideration and humanely and we leave the matter in his hands.18.30- on our way home from Hawarra 24 cars waiting from the north.