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Beit Iba, Qalqiliya, Tue 17.6.08, Afternoon
Place:
Beit Iba
Qalqiliya checkpoint
Observers: Yael S., Zahava G. (reporting)
Translator: Judith G.
Beit Iba 16:10 – A lot of garbage has accumulated again on the way to the checkpoint. The checkpoint commander, a Lieutenant, doesn't even respond to our 'good morning'. During the entire shift, one and a half hours, he spoke one sentence to us: "Don't stand there please." Luckily, the DCO representative, Tomer, was cooperative. No detainees and relatively light traffic – no studies at the University now. There are a few dozen people waiting at the exit from Nablus and going through the usual inspection. Also those entering Nablus, even fewer, go through a document check and have bags inspected. In the humanitarian line there are a few people. Despite our disappointment with the commander's behavior, we have to say in his favor that he allowed three elderly people, who made a mistake and went outside the barrier separating the humanitarian line from the road, to pass through and was satisfied with just a document check. We have already seen "nicer" commanders who ordered such elderly people to return and go to the end of the line. 16:30 – A military policewoman leaves her place in the booth, so for 8 minutes the whole line on the left stops and waits. When we ask why there is no one to take her place, they answer that someone would come right away. In the end, another woman soldier came, who had been standing outside the booth all the time, chatting with the commander. We couldn't restrain ourselves and expressed out anger at the contempt for the people waiting.
Beit Iba 16:10 – A lot of garbage has accumulated again on the way to the checkpoint. The checkpoint commander, a Lieutenant, doesn't even respond to our 'good morning'. During the entire shift, one and a half hours, he spoke one sentence to us: "Don't stand there please." Luckily, the DCO representative, Tomer, was cooperative. No detainees and relatively light traffic – no studies at the University now. There are a few dozen people waiting at the exit from Nablus and going through the usual inspection. Also those entering Nablus, even fewer, go through a document check and have bags inspected. In the humanitarian line there are a few people. Despite our disappointment with the commander's behavior, we have to say in his favor that he allowed three elderly people, who made a mistake and went outside the barrier separating the humanitarian line from the road, to pass through and was satisfied with just a document check. We have already seen "nicer" commanders who ordered such elderly people to return and go to the end of the line. 16:30 – A military policewoman leaves her place in the booth, so for 8 minutes the whole line on the left stops and waits. When we ask why there is no one to take her place, they answer that someone would come right away. In the end, another woman soldier came, who had been standing outside the booth all the time, chatting with the commander. We couldn't restrain ourselves and expressed out anger at the contempt for the people waiting.
16:55 – An exercise: all the soldiers, male and female, leave the inspection points. All lights are turned off, and the traffic lights are red. All the people waiting in both directions are shoved back by the soldiers, beyond the sheds. Also all the vehicles are asked to wait far away, including an ambulance coming from Nablus with its lights blinking. Only we are ignored, we remain wandering around the inspection area. All the soldiers are busily supervising the crowd which keeps growing from both directions. The line of vehicles also gets longer.
17:12 – The exercise is finished. The ambulance already returned to Nablus and people start going through. A problem is created in the line of those entering Nablus. There is only one passageway and they are shoved and pushed. The soldiers refuse to check them until there is some order. Shouts, shoves, "Yala, Yala," and three women are standing next to the line with their children, including one sleeping on the shoulders of an older woman. We ask the commander to tell the woman soldier to call to the women for inspection. Naturally, he doesn't answer. We turn to the soldier and the commander throws us out. We appeal to the sense of politeness of the Palestinian line of people, and that works. They make space for the women and they get to the front of the line. The commander tells the woman soldiers to let the women through.
Qalqiliya 17:45 – about 6 vehicles in line, more than half of them are Israeli.
Beit Iba
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A perimeter checkpoint west of the city of Nablus. Operated from 2001 to 2009 as one of the four permanent checkpoints closing on Nablus: Beit Furik and Awarta to the east and Hawara to the south. A pedestrian-only checkpoint, where MachsomWatch volunteers were present daily for several hours in the morning and afternoon to document the thousands of Palestinians waiting for hours in long queues with no shelter in the heat or rain, to leave the district city for anywhere else in the West Bank. From March 2009, as part of the easing of the Palestinian movement in the West Bank, it was abolished, without a trace, and without any adverse change in the security situation.
Neta EfroniJun-4-2014Beit-Iba checkpoint 22.04.04
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Qalqiliya checkpoint
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Qalqilya is surrounded on all sides by the separation barrier. The only exit from the city is in the east of the city on the road that leaves the city in an easterly direction. This is where the checkpoint was located. When the checkpoint was active until 2009 our shifts watched long queues of cars being inspected at the only exit from the city to the West Bank. The checkpoint was canceled, but there is a military presence at the entrance to the city.Karin LindnerJun-4-2014Etz Ephraim settlement. Nurit overlooks Siniriya
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