Beit Iba, Monday, 20.6.05, AMObservers: Roni S, Naomi L and Herzliya A (reporting)6.50 – we started our watch as usual, at Irtah, where we met up with another watch and decided to divide the work up between us. They continued to Jubara and we drove directly to Beit Iba. On our way, we noticed the new large square at Jubara and the advanced stage of construction of a sunken road being built for the Palestinians who want to travel to and from Tulkarm. On the left was the dirt road, the future road, through the olive grove of the village of Shufa or what we left of it after its trees were uprooted several months ago. 7.20 – Anabta – a line of cars towards Tulkarm. Several soldiers checking, a longer line from the Tulkarm direction, the end invisible, but we estimated that there were about 15 cars. Some of those waiting decided to go through on foot and a taxi was waiting to take them to NablusOn the way back from Beit Iba there were very long lines of cars. We drove around them and at the entrance to the Jubara road, at the bend, we saw detained vehicles. We continued since we could not find anywhere to part. 7.40 – no rolling checkpoints on the way to Beit Iba and the road has been mended so that it’s a little easier to drive. At the checkpoint itself dust and commotion. A line of cars waiting to go into Nablus. Taxis and an ambulance drove round and encountered cars coming towards them in the same line. It took the drivers some time to solve the traffic jam. The sheds in front of the checking positions for pedestrians were full, mainly with young people. Later a taxi driver told us that today matriculation exams were being held. The soldiers checked the papers of most of them, particularly women. No detainees. The soldiers ignored us. At the exit from Nablus only one long and orderly line of men, checked one by one so that passage was quite slow. One man, whose wife and small child went through with him, tried to go through the same turnstile as them and was sent back to the men’s line. People in line let him go ahead. His bag was checked scrupulously. He emptied out the contents: baby clothes, blankets etc, they were checked and he crammed them in again. The same happened to another young man standing near him. We contacted the DCO to report how slow the checks were. The soldier who answered promised to check and speed up the passage. 9.00 – we left. Taxi drivers complained to us. We drove through Shavei Shomron. No checkpoint, but concrete barriers on the road forcing drivers to slow down.