Hawwara and Beth Furik, Wednesday 28.9.05 PMObservers: Dalia W. Nurith W.-L. (reporting)Hanna K. translating14:40 Tapuach Junction – we counted 19 cars waiting in the queue from the West. The checking is relatively quick and is carried out by two polite soldiers. They welcomed us pleasantly and explained that according to the orders there is a segregation, in fact from all directions, and that is why they didn’t let the young man whose papers say Kilkilya, to go to Ramallah. He tried to do that twice on the same day, in different cars, and didn’t succeed. This is the routine but very blunt manifestation of the limitations imposed on the freedom of movement. From the direction of Nablus eastwards and southwards “only” ten cars are waiting but near the checkpoint three men are standing. Each wishes to go to a different place (family affairs, trade etc.). No, no they were told at the Huwwara checkpoint that from the Za’atara/Tapuach junction they won’t be allowed to continue.O. from the Liaison Administration explains the reason for the segregation –on fact it is the elections that are due to take place on the next day, and not the forthcoming holidays. This is an attempt to prevent “undesirable elements” of the Hamas to move from one village to the other, raise riots and disrupt the elections. Seemingly the explanation sounds logical in terms of security, but if this is not a political interference – then what is an interference?We contact the Liaison Administration and ask that at least “ways be found” to inform the people at the Huwwara, Beth Ibba and other checkpoints that there is not passage at Za’atara. When we reached Huwwara we repeated our request to use the loudspeaker system from time to time so as to inform the passers.15.10 Huwwara checkpoint -In the taxi area there are stalls, but in a much smaller number than in the past.At the checkpoint there is no pressure as far as pedestrians are concerned. There are two queues for men and a humanitarian queue for women and elderly people. Ion the front posts there are four soldiers checking (parachutes and military police). On the other hand there is a massive pressure in the vehicles queue and the checking is slow. The checkpoint commander, S. agreed to use the loudspeakers but, according to him he hasn’t got enough manpower to speed up the car checking, especially because there is such a lively bus traffic. With a more efficient organization one could have moved soldiers in times of low pressure at the pedestrian passage, to the vehicles area. Later they began after all to check two cars at the same time.15.45 – A student is detained. A quarter of an hour later, when his papers are not returned to him, we investigate and are told that he is probably wanted by the Security Services, and that they would come to fetch him!! We note his details and contact the humanitarian center for the first time. After about an hour we call again and remind them that one cannot detain somebody for over an hour if one doesn’t intend to come, investigate him or arrest him. On the other side of the line there is a discussion among the people at the center. We insist and in the end, after about an hour, the papers are returned to the young man and he is released.15.55 – At the turnstiles there is a lot of pressure due to people returning home. Only one of the front turnstiles is open which causes men and women to mingle at the exit. For some reason the humanitarian queue is closed just now.After a talk with the commander, in which we told him about the discomfiture caused to the women especially because of this forced mingling, the humanitarian queue is opened again.In the vehicles area the pressure from north to south continues. One but after the other. The process of their checking takes, as is known, a very long time (passengers dismount, their papers are being checked, the bus is being checked, one waits for all the papers to be returned etc. etc.). The checking of the busses coming from south on the other hand, is quick especially because the soldier stationed there works efficiently, without taking breaks. Moreover, he is polite and smiling (I regret I don’t know his name. He is of Russian descent).16.50 – The pressure at the turnstiles is released. The number of passers diminishes. On the other hand a bus whose passengers are heading for a wedding is still detained. One of the passengers, a young English student who holds a Jordanian passport and a student card which is not up to date for this year, is not allowed to pass. Her friend decides to stay with her. The bus goes on its way. According to them, student cards are not renewed yearly at the A’ Nagach offices, but the girl studies and lives in Nablus already the third or fourth year. It is not clear why the university authorities do not make an effort to make live easier for its students, by issuing up to date student cards. The young girl also has to renew her passport, but in the trap of the checkpoints she cannot pass for no matter what purpose. We advise her to find a way to send the passport to have it renewed and to keep with her a photocopy until she gets it back. In the mixture of checkpoints plus bureaucracy from every direction a young inexperienced person gets lost. She is sweet and patient, holds a smiling conversation with the soldiers and is even rewarded by a certain measure of understanding from them. Luckily for her, after checking and consideration, her papers are returned to her half and hour later and she is allowed to pass, not without a warning that problems are due for her if she does not renew her papers immediately.Looking from the outside this conversation between the two young girls and the soldiers was a tiny island of normalcy in the stream of abnormalcy in the land of checkpoints.17.20 – We drive to Beth Furik. At the checkpoint there are few people. The soldiers refuse to talk to us, don’t even reply our greeting. It is obvious that they are uneasy, but the commander, a lieutenant screams at us rudely: “what do you think, I work for you?”. We looked on for a few moments and went away. His exceptional behaviour has already been reported, and to the best of my knowledge, complaints were sent to the battalion commander. One must go on complaining.18.00 Back to the Huwwara checkpoint – As there were not special problems we began to drive back home. At the outskirts of Huwwara another surprise rolling checkpoint – a jeep and two soldiers. We stopped and asked for the reason. After all the waiting cars have already been checked a short time before. The soldiers too didn’t understand the matter clearly. While we were waiting and thinking of contacting the Liaison Administration they decided to “close” the checkpoint.At the Tapuach junction about twenty cars were waiting in the direction south-east, but the checking proceeded quickly enough. From west there was a small number of cars, and no detainees.