Yitzhar Road, Beit Iba 20/3/2004 Watchers: Hanna B., Tova S., Victoria B. (reporting) Summary: Harassment initiative of soldiers towards students in buses on the Yitzhar road. Enforcement of “sterile” road rule on a bride, groom and family. Very few phone-numbers answering on Saturday. Rude uncooperative soldier at Nablus DCO phone, and un-humanitarian Yigal from the army Humanitarian Center. Moked (Center for the Defense of the Individual) asks that we do not call the Humanitarian Center, if Moked people are already working on the case.Before we got to Huwwara, we saw a messy crowded flying CP on Rd. 60 (7:45). At Tapuah junction, a CP with a queue of some 10 vehicles. The junction is decorated by posters: “The laws of Torah precede the laws of people”. Above the Eli gas station, on Rd 60, another piece of settler decoration, in the form of a citation, in huge white letters on the mountain slope reads: “Do not uproot that which was planted” (Al-na-taakor natua). I remembered the Ein Abus olive trees, destroyed by the settlers.At Huwwara we split to two groups. Our group proceeded to Beit Iba via Yitzhar Road. A short ride down the road, we encountered a flying checkpoint with several soldiers, who enforced the “Sterile Road” rule. The soldier could not tell us when exactly the road was declared “Sterile” (euphemism for “closed to Palestinians”). One week ago? Two? There is no signpost to this effect at the road entrance, but according to the soldiers, Palestinians are supposed to know – word was passed in the villages. The soldiers chose to enforce the rule specifically on yellow taxis, while private Palestinian cars were passing. One detained yellow minibus included a group from Hebron, which has been on the road since 3AM. Another minibus included a bridegroom plus family, on the way to a wedding ceremony. The soldier was in the process of checking the IDs for the bridegroom and two men from his group. He was willing to let all the passengers go later, but insisted on detaining the drivers, so the wedding company will be kindly allowed to proceed on foot. He explained the passengers: “I have to do it because you are terrorists”. “This is a way to convert decent people to terrorists,” mumbled one of the Palestinians present. We called Moked, left phone numbers. Our further presence seemed counterproductive, so we moved on. Later we learned that cars picked the wedding company, but the two taxi drivers were detained in Shavei Shomron, and their vehicles confiscated, apparently for 4 days. Moked was working on the case.After a turn towards Beit Iba, short distance after Sarra, we encountered an angry crowd of young Palestinians (perhaps 100) waiting on the road side. At this flying checkpoint, the soldiers opted to contribute to State Security by removing all young men from passing buses and subjecting them to ID checkups. The majority were students (A-Najah, Bir Zeit, American University). They told us of being turned back at CPs a day before (“Students can pass only on Wednesdays and Saturdays”); at least some were waiting since 7AM and mightily annoyed about wasting their day.A soldier at the Nablus DCO phone said rudely that she is not supposed to talk to us, mobile phone numbers of officers did not respond, Yigal from Humanitarian Center was useless and rude, Carmela Menashe, Dawani from the UN and Bronfman’s aide said they will do what they can. We explained to the students who we are and what we are doing; one of them said, “I know you do not have to be here, thank you”. Finally, an officer showed up, said something about general warning but indicated this was a case of local over zealousness. The officer promised release and buses for the students within one hour. The soldiers vented dissatisfaction at their spoilt initiative by trying to harass our transit driver. As we left (10:15) we saw the first IDs being returned. Later some of the students’ crowd appeared at Beit Iba CP. But on the way back we saw at the same place a group of new detained, albeit not that large.At Beit Iba, two officers – captain Asaf and lieutenant Nadav were polite and cooperative towards us. Hannah talked to the unit commander Nohi. We managed to help out a couple of folks. A man, who came from Jenin with his little daughter to Rafidiye hospital eye doctor, was denied entry – no security clearance. There were some 35 detained, 2-3 hour waiting time. Many young Palestinians had their student IDs confiscated. “Fakes” said officer Asaf; and explained that this category includes no magnetic strip, or insulating tape instead of the strip, or computer-scanned copies. Also, student IDs older than 3 years were not honored, “they must me renewed after 3 years”. A Moked operative told us a different thing – that a student ID is valid for the whole period – 5 years for engineering, 6 years for medicine, 4 years for the rest.Blue police was called for a family with Israeli ID returning from Nablus, from a funeral; we were told that they will only get a warning, but repeated offense can be more serious. A blue ID holder is supposed to sign first in the DCO a declaration of renouncing responsibility of the State of Israel, if anything happens to him /her.