Beit Iba. Tuesday, 2.05.06 PMObserver: Susan L. (reporting)Guest: L. Summary: Slow motion: today in the Occupied Territories, Memorial Day within Israel proper, summer slowly but surely creeping in, the hills still green, but the springtime grasses and flowers dying slowly, turning to their crinkly browns, time seeming to stand still: closure, of course, for the national holidays behind the Green Line, fewer people, fewer vehicles, both military materiel and Palestinian buses, hardly any rolling checkpoints, soldiers taking their time over everything, like actors working mechanically, every motion precise and deliberate. And everywhere time appears to be slowed down and the occupation is ubiquitous – in slow motion. 15:00 Jit JunctionThere are 15 vehicles coming from the direction of Huwwara, stopped at the now permanent rolling checkpoint here. Drivers complain, “an hour here, an hour at another checkpoint.” But unlike past weeks, there is no checking at all from any other direction. It’s quiet. Junction of 57 and 60No rolling checkpoint, but around the bend in the Deir Sharaf direction a mass of cars, trucks, etc. What’s going on? A new “road” (Palestinian) over the hilly slopes (parallel to Shave Shomron), heading, we suppose towards Jenin, and why the crowd of vehicles? One has got stuck in the ditch. On our return, all is cleared, but the dirt path, heading up over the hill is clearly visible (until this too is blocked). Beit IbaThe Huwwash Brothers are still sleeping in their workshop since they cannot get the permits for under 30s to leave Nablus. A relative, over age, is with them, tells of working in China (of all places). A huge new counter is being built for a sweet shop in Nablus (!). Thank goodness for a reign of normalcy! 15:30One man in the detention compound, he has no idea why. There is nobody, neither pedestrian nor vehicle, in line to get into Nablus. A soldier at the checking post eats from a bag of potato chips, hands them to his comrades, they continue munching, they swig cola from a bottle. They are relaxed, indifferent to the fact that in the hot sun a stream of people, mainly women, shielding their eyes with the IDs, stand in the humanitarian line, waiting to be checked. On questioning, the soldiers insist that they “prefer to go in that line, rather than using the turnstiles.” On soldier checks Palestinians coming from Nablus from behind his cube. A young woman explains, via another Palestinian who acts as translator, that her village is near by: near Shave Shomron, and that she knows she can leave Nablus to go there. The soldier heads to his relaxed comrades to find out. They ask each other, make a phone call, and the young woman passes, people waiting in the long line, as ever, patiently, behind her. 15:45 A., the commander arrives, chats, agreeing that because of closure it’s particularly quiet today, picks up the ID of the man in the detention compound from a ledge behind the main checkpost, asks one of the soldiers what it’s all about, receives a muttered response, after which A. heads over to hand the ID over to the Palestinian, and he’s on his way. 16:20 A. now checks families trying to leave Nablus, arguing that a young woman’s ID doesn’t say she is married. She has two children with her, plus other family members and a great deal of shopping. It looks like a standoff, but A.’s sidekick, a very tall Arabic-speaking sergeant who seems to soothe many issues, saves the day, saying the Arabic certainly states she’s married! Another problem solved, another family on its way.