Beit Iba, Tuesday 23.5.2005, PM Observers: Horit H”P, Racheli B’A, Hana C. (reporting)Guest: Itamar I. (reporter from Maariv)Natanya translating. At the entrance to the checkpoint people told us that those from Sebastiya (next to Shave Shomron) and Beit Imrin have been forced since the evacuation and the closing of the checkpoint to go to Beit Iba by a side road which takes many hours. The owner of a donkey and cart from Nakora is not allowed to get to his home with his cart. The price of the attempt to bypass on the dust road is a high one. Soldiers cause damage to the cars or call in the police and there is a fine of 750 shekel. The road at Al Badhan is blocked. Residents of Jenin cannot pass through Asura and Anabta and this includes students and those who are ill. At the checkpoint there is a difference in the carrying out of duties and the attitude to the Palestinians. The pedestrian lane moves quickly but on the other hand the attitude is arrogant and contemptuous (“Go back to Huwarra.”) There are three lines, the humanitarian for men over 45 and women, a line for younger men without bags and one for those who have them. The army has no manpower to instruct the Palestinians into which line they should go (and these orders change from time to time) so sometimes they stand in a line not meant for them. The result is that the soldiers shout in Hebrew expecting the Palestinians to understand and in the humanitarian line the following conversation is heard. Soldier: How old are you? Palestinian. Silence. He does not understand. Someone translates for him. 50 he says. The soldier shouting. What is “chamsien”? Maybe he thinks it is a weather report. HOW OLD ARE YOU? Women who have not kept their distance receive a gesture of the finger by the soldier around his temple which was supposed to test their intelligence. The commander after we had complained went to the soldier and evidently explained to him that he was not there to carry out this test. From 15.00 a man who has had instigating material is in the enclosure. The commander claims that there was written “Death to the Jews”. After many requests we were allowed to see this suspicious material. A plastic cover in the colours of the Palestinian flag, a fist in the shape of the map of Israel (rather reminds one of Betar) and the temple site. Itamar, the reporter, translates the text. The death which is mentioned is that of the martyrs who are prepared to spill their blood. The commander calls in a “specialist”, At 17.15 the man is freed without the aid of the specialist who never arrived. 16.45 5 detainees who had tried to bypass the checkpoint. One of them from Qalqiliya was visiting his sick mother and 4 students from El Najagh from the area of Jenin. Two of them handcuffed (a picture is added) and at 17.05 they are freed. In the meantime the line of cars has lengthened, 15 from each side. 2 wagon drivers complain that the soldiers do not allow them to pass. The centre explains that the ban comes from the battalion because the wagon drivers “cause a confusion”. The commander gives a security reason. Two months ago they carried weapons of war and therefore they are punished. Since when do carriers of weapons of war pass freely at the checkpoint. He says they are not forbidden. Strange. The centre says we should complain. On the way back, a the entrance to the green line our car driven by Teisar-Achi-Nadim somehow got into the line of the “permitted”. Because of this the line was kept up for 5 minutes because we had someone with us who was not of the “lords of the land”. A pleasant group of settlers, father with a magnificent white beard, the mother with her headdress, the daughters dressed modestly immediately started to scream at the woman soldier of the military police because they were detained When they saw us, the shouts became even sweeter. The son with his beautiful payot shouted abuse at us and the adolescent son screamed at us “If we do not pass in two minutes, I am not responsible for what I will do to you.” Salt of the earth.