Ar-Ras, Anabta, Tuesday PM, 20 Saturday 2006 Watchers: Pithia A, Racheli B, Hana C (reporting) 14:30 Ar-Ras Very hot. A short line of 5-6 vehicles in the direction of Tulkarm. At issue: a mother (with valid personal documents), and two sons, one of 15 and the other eight (without permits, and listed on the mother’s permit) on a wagon as the older boy drives the horse. The family want to reach their fruit trees to work the land, and they say that usually they are all allowed to pass. The commander refuses to let the permitless children through. He admits that he has no security suspicions. He states adamantly that his position is the result of his personal choice: “I have wide jurisdiction, and I do not want to do any favours. The orders are for everybody. I am not going to start conceding to anyone.” Exploiting this opportunity, he expresses his disgust for the stinking village as opposed to his clean hometown (Carmiel, a successful “development town” in the Galilee). Appeals to him are useless. After almost an hour of waiting (in the terrible heat), the family gives up and goes home.15:00 Anabta A very long line of vehicles, stretching till beyond the junction. Waiting time, two hours. The explanation given by the IDF Centre [a hotline for reporting passage problems] is that the inspection is thorough (in practice, not very convincing, because there is no inspection being carried out). Coincidentally, after we arrive the pace picks up. An Israeli Arab driving a truck with two cars on it is held for two hours then sent back the way he came. The pedestrians are questioned, requested to provide details of where they’re from and where are they going to…