Barta`a East, Monday 12/7/04, PM, 37ºc Observers: Hani R`, Galit G`, Shula B` (wrote) 14:00 – 16:40 From afar the site looks encouraging – only few cars and pedestrians on both sides. On the western shed stand only one (1) detainee who came 15 minutes ahead of us. Idyll? In 10 minutes we’ll realize that it is just an illusion. The soldiers are eating from aluminum trays while standing. Here, there, wherever. Why really should they have a decent table in the shade to eat in a civilized way? Or, God forbid, paper cups to drink properly – as they deserve? Why really should they eat in shifts so that the traffic at the barrier could keep moving? Why at all should they have a decent meal-break during the 8-10 exhausting hours in the blazing sun in their long sleeved uniforms under the heavy helmet and protection vest? And why somebody from the unseen higher ranks would give a minute’s thought, care, or respect to the conditions of their soldiers? I hope you read this report Colonel Ebman. We start receiving the public, who from a distant wave to us to approach them. Waving white folded papers which inside hold very basic requests: let us live, give us life. Waving with green ID`s, orange ID`s (i,e. palestinian ID`s). Scorched faces, tired eyes. Oy, they are so fed up with this shitty occupation. On their own soil they stand and beg. “No chance,” that is what they say to a Bartaa resident who easily crossed to the east in the morning and is now being refused to return to his home, wife and daughters. He has no permit. He complains about abusive red tape – problems with registering his present address. Major Hasson from Salem D.C.O brings him up on the computer and reveals to us that this man has a stain which doesn’t come out in Shabak. Therefore, they will never let him be a kosher Bartaa resident. The locksmith from Yaabed (a nearby village in the palestinian teritory) begs us to help him enter Bartaa since he must collect a debt from one who refuses to pay him for work he had done for him (who also will not willingly come to the barrier with the money as IDF and us suggest). He desperately needs the money to pay nis.630 for a traffic offence which must be paid by the end of August. Why desperate? Because they won’t give him the desired magnetic pass with which he can legally enter Bartaa (and collect debts), unless he pays first the traffic offence fine. The Bartaa` Head of Council crosses the barrier at least twice a day. Each time they order him to take off his belt. Even today, while the metal detector is out of order. This puts him to great shame, over and over again. We shared his sorrow and together come up with a brilliant idea: “going to the barrier, come with no belt!”, but then what will hold his dignity? The heat or the challenging job or personal reasons seem to be the motive for one of the soldiers being so “cheerful”. After finishing checking one of the cars he joyfully tears out the feathers which decorate the car, gives the driver a slap on the shoulder (Yo, brother), laughs, laughs, orders “turn the sound up!” (Sarit Hadad on the Radio) “more… more… yes… yes… and now keep crossing the barrier and do not turn it off or I’ll order you back, have you heard me?” The Father of one of the `thermos kids` (coffee? Juice?) ask us to bring his son from the western side. The barrier guardian, a tough frizzy headed girl soldier (holding an aimed gun) growls at the boy (Erja! Back off!) and at us (let me do my work). The little one stands there (as we do) in such obedience which would not have disgraced an English boarding school pupil. Eventually the representatives of the Defense Army come up with an exaggerated discretion and let the child run toward his father (are you crazy??)… Young mother with her 9 years old daughter tries, with a heart rending presentation, nonetheless a bit overplayed, to convince the soldiers to let her cross to the east. First they say “no way” “impossible through here”, then, after 45 minutes, due to some mysterious transmission of neurons generated inside some burn brain under a military helmet – they say: “ready steady go” and she takes her daughters hand and the two of them happily hover up high above the barrier and fly home… Dusty military Hammer stops creakily. Out comes a charming, auburn haired and blue eyed Captain, who dismisses us with a look of someone who knows that our father is a glazier, showers the barrier command with one question: “everything o.k?”, than he moves his forces forwards and backwards and escapes the heavy heat right back into the Hammer… Drill: the soldiers run all over the place, crying out loud: fire-fire-fire…. The palestinian who has been caught in the middle of the simulated flurry is confused: to stay? to retreat? At last he crouches like the soldiers do, not to be hurt by the “bullets”… The detainee from a quarter to two is released along with the small group of other detainees at half past four… Finally a good word about sergeant I”Z, the Barrier Commander: outside tough, inside soft, obviously torn between orders and insights… Enough for today though my notebook is still full.