Beit Iba Saturday Morning, 17 April 2004 Observers: Sara A., Rachel H., and Nina M.(both reporting);guests: Hagai M. (HaShomer HaTsa’ir activist) and Hilla (taking photographs) Summary: At 08:00 there was a rolling [unannounced roadblock] checkpoint near Ma’alei Levona with a long line of cars waiting to be checked before proceeding in the direction of Jerusalem. At 12:00 there was a rolling checkpoint set up near Jabba. Large numbers of people went through the Beit Iba checkpoint. Our intervention with the soldiers solved many “humanitarian” [i.e. medical, etc.] problems. 08:50 — 11:00, Beit Iba: Upon our arrival, we saw a few hundred people waiting to go through in the direction of Nablus, mainly students who are allowed through on Saturdays [the start of the university week at an-Najah university]. About 30 young men were detained. The very long lines were well organized by N., the commander in charge, who has clearly been influenced by O. of the DCO [IDF Civil Administration office], on how best to manage a checkpoint. There was a special line for “humanitarian” cases, teachers and older people : this is very important in expediting their passage, since we have often observed that the lack of such a line causes much suffering to sick and disabled people.N. was quite cooperative in enabling us to negotiate passage through the checkpoint for all humanitarian cases in need : these were all young men who, without our intervention, would not have been able to get treatment. There was also the case of a young man whose mother had just died. It was so sad to see how this man was humiliated as he had to “cry” his way through at such a difficult moment in his own life. He, but not his companion, was allowed to pass, and only after we pleaded on his behalf. Comment: It never seems to occur to the checkpoint soldiers or their commanders that they might call a hospital to verify the truth of the Palestinians’ claims to have medical appointments etc. N. is very sure of his abilities to judge whether someone is telling the truth just by looking at the person’s face. The detained men, all young, had been held because of some alleged suspicion — but in fact it emerged that their ID cards had not even been cross-checked with the Shin Bet [Israel security services] lists; instead, they had been held and released only slowly to “show them who’s the boss here”. One student was detained because he misunderstood a soldier’s order that the Palestinians approach in groups of four — he was the fifth person and should have waited a minute or two. For this “offense” he was detained two and a half hours before his documents were returned to him. Summary comment: The “passage point” (a new term for checkpoints that has been suggested by the IDF) was at its best. But even the addition of flowers and a cafeteria cannot change its essence : this is a method to subjugate and dominate the Palestinians, and it is a means of oppression.