Beit Iba, Tuesday, 7.3.2006, PM, Observers: Ariela, Galit, Amit.Natanya translating. 13.45 On our way to Jubara checkpoint we were informed by telephone that in the hut of the detainees is a slogan “Death to the Arabs.” And indeed on the three windows which have been painted white someone wrote out this slogan on the wall. With a nail we removed this. A white transit arrived and 3 children of about 13-14 descended (so they said, even though they seemed younger) They said that they had been in jail and were freed and brought here. The youngest who looked about 10 said he had been in jail in Tel Mond for 3 months for throwing stones. They live next to Ramallah (Beit Or) and have no money. The soldier at the checkpoint said that they could not pass. One of them said his uncle was waiting for him on the other side. While we were still trying to persuade the soldier to let them pass the transit returned and a captain of the secret service got out (a colonel with three stripes). One of the boys had forgotten a parcel in the car and he had come to return it to him. The soldier asked him why the boys had been brought to Jubara and he said he had been told to leave them there. The soldier let the boys pass and said a complaint should be made, either to the National Council for Child Welfare, the Humanitarian Centre or the Prison Authorities. 14.15 Checkpoint of Beit Iba A long line of cars leaving Nablus. About 30 pedestrians. From the other direction, not much movement. In the hut of the detainees, 4 women including one who is still breastfeeding a baby of 3 months who is at home. Another woman had been to see a psychiatrist in Nablus and is on her way home. Hezi the second lieutenant says that they were pushing and not carrying out the orders of the soldier to go back and therefore they are being detained. About half an hour later they were freed. In the meantime the shifts had been changed and the new commander, a staff sergeant refused to give his name. The IDs of the other two women were returned to them but they were not allowed to enter Nablus because they were from there and there is segregation. The soldiers would not speak to us and showed us a letter from the police telling them exactly how to deal with us. This is from October 2004 and it is the first time I have seen it. The tension is great. The soldiers deal rudely with the Palestinians shouting at them. Sometimes they also shout at us. (Idiots, fuck off, you should be ashamed of yourselves, etc.) They sent us back. The checking was slow and a long line of about 100 people was waiting to leave Nablus and there were 15 cars in each direction. Now and again people were detained, usually those who tried to by-pass. Most of them get their IDs back in about half an hour and are sent back to the end of the line. A young man with a loaded car tells us that he is from the village of Qusin which is on the hill near Beit Iba. For four years they have been without a road either entering or exiting the village and besides that every now and again the soldiers take over one of their homes. The only way they have in or out is on foot. They have spoken to the DCO and with no result. We leave at 16.40