Za’atra, Huwwara, Beit Furiq 21 June 2006 Watchers: Nina S., Tushka K., Ilana H., Chana A. (reporting)Summary: A routine, depressing morning of occupation. Again and again: the use of detention as ‘educational’ punishment; the disabled are forced to cross on foot from one side of the roadblock to the other, mothers with children in their arms too; men have to raise their shirts and turn up their trousers, exposing parts of their bodies to the soldiers; pregnant women stand waiting in the sun for long periods. And they should be grateful. In a moment violence will explode.The new ‘border’ positions on Road No. 5, those which have been moved a few kilometres east, are almost ready. Then they will tell us that it is in the interests of security. At the sides of the road there are new rolls of barbed wire.Za’atra7:50 a.m. There are two checkpoints from the west and there are ten cars in the queue. We timed the cars at 10 minutes per car from the moment they arrived until they left the roadblock. In comparison, a bus which arrived first was held up for an additional five minutes. It seems that vehicles carrying more than two passengers are held up to check I.D.’s. and in order to allow other cars to cross meanwhile.From the north there is no queue. There are three checkpoints and a ‘humanitarian’ queue. Residents of Nablus and Jenin between the ages of 15 to 30 are not permitted to cross.Junction of Roads 57 and 608:25 a.m.The position is deserted. It is also deserted at 11 a.m. when we are on our way back.Huwwara8:30 a.m.The internal traffic towards the town is heavy. There is continuous, although light, traffic leaving town.An ambulance with its siren sounding arrives at speed at the position at the entrance to the town. It is allowed through quite quickly.There are two checkpoints and a ‘humanitarian’ queue. There is also an x-ray machine but we did not see it in use.8:35 a.m.Three soldiers take a Palestinian driver to the front checking booth. They take his keys from him, he is checked – his shirt is raised and he removes his shoes. He is handcuffed and the door is closed on him.8:37 a.m.The driver is taken out of the front checking booth and moved to the back one. The door is not locked and two soldiers guard him. They do not take his cell phone away from him but do not allow him to use it.8:52 a.m.An elderly woman who, on nearing the checkpoint, alerted the magnometer arrives. The driver is taken out and the woman is put into the front checking booth. After a few minutes she is allowed to continue on her way. It then turns out that the driver has been detained for two hours and the explanation we get is that he pushed a soldier and the soldier could even have shot him for that. It is worth pointing out that, in spite of the ‘sentence’ the driver is released within an hour and a half, but not before he was given an educational lecture by the arresting soldier on the fact that his disturbance (the driver’s) of the traffic of ambulances could have cost lives (“imagine if your mother had been in the ambulance and a car did not let it through. If she had died, what would you have done?”) and also not before they shook hands.Meanwhile an old man and a woman carrying a child in her arms walk along the road in the direction of the exit, but when they get to the car entrance checkpoint they are sent all the way back to stand in the queue.9:50 a.m.An elderly woman is returning to Nablus. She got to Qalandiya but was not permitted to go through to get to her daughter who is due to be married.10:30 a.m.A young man is sent back to Nablus (the first one we have seen today).10:48 a.m.We left.Beit Furiq9:15 a.m. Everyone is allowed to cross; it is also possible to cross from village to village in the area.At first there are two soldiers but when the sergeant arrives he sends us to the other side of the turnstiles.Residents wait for a few minutes until one of the three soldiers turns to them (not because the others are busy with anything. It seems that they are just lazy).9:30 a.m.A taxi driver from Beit Furiq, whom we know from previous shifts, drives up to the roadblock because he has a disabled woman on board. He hopes to be able to take her across to the taxis at the other side. The soldiers do not permit it. The woman alights from the vehicle, walking with difficulty, and sits down at the side of the road. Perhaps a vehicle which is permitted to enter Nablus will come by and give her a lift. It is undoubtedly a ‘humanitarian occupation’. Za’atra10:55 a.m. There are fifteen cars in the queue from the north. From the west there are no cars.