Huwwara, Monday 16.5.2006 PMObservers: Fatchia I. (translating), Nur B. (pictures) Ada R. (reporting)Natanya translating.Limitations and dissection.15-30 year olds who are from Nablus cannot leave if they are from Nablus, Jenin and TulkarM.Deterioration. Since yesterday there is a worsening in the situation of the passage of cars (the contribution of the state to the national program of health care of the the Palestinian צומוד ברגל . All cars leaving or antering now have to have a new permit and this includes doctors, etc. excluding cars of humanitarian organizations.14.00 Za’atara CP. In line 5 cars from the east and 28 from north to south including many taxis.14.10 The CP at the entrance to Hawarra (yesterday there was an “economic curfew”). All the cars and businesses were ordered to close for the day – as if the economic situation is not bad enough.10 cars and trucks waiting. We do not know for how long but there was not much movement. (Nadim received the explanation that there is little movement at the checkpoints because there is no money and whoever does not really have to do so does not leave the ghetto , excuse me, the walkable area of subsistence . Therefore a line of 10 cars shows a waiting time which is not short.14.16 The CP at Hawarra and the entrance to Nablus – the preparation of a large area next to the army camp in the direction of and parallel to the road is very noticeable. We should check why.In the enclosure six young men who pass the place regularly are detained to be checked which happens to them once of twice a month . One of them as an appointment for an operation to remove a large growth. Five are freed after 45 minutes.15.09 – A young man is taken by two men wearing khaki and helmets but without any tag showing brigade or rank. First he was taken behind the “humanitarian point”??? We ran after them , photographing part of the search and when they see us put him into a jeep 669954 which we also photographed. He did not resists. They drove off with a screech of the wheels. The detained man said to us that he could not wait because he has a head wound and we are upset that we did not take his phone number. The DCO representative said that the two men who had taken the other young man were not soldiers.14.30 -The humanitarian line had been closed till now , we ask to have it opened, and R. the commander says that it will open immediately.14.46 -The humanitarian line closes again “because there is no pressure and it is no problem for them to wait a bit in line, there is a changing of the guard.”14.40 -A father and son, a boy of about 8 who has had a kidney transplant asks us to help him get a permanent permit as the child cannot wait at the checkpoint because his immunity is very weak and he can easily pick up a germ. His name if Amir Samir Atkas, id 401915665 from the village of Beita. Maybe someone has a good connection with Dalia Bassa and can help? I sent the father to the DCO to get a permit but doubt that anyone there will soften up.The apartheid occurrences are becoming more frequent. 15.10 -I notice an older detainee of about 46. Y. I. of Nablus. He has a terrible sin and if this is not simplyI disgusting and revolting ill-treatment then I did not know what is. No one even tries to explain to us that there is a security reason but simply that this is to educate him to law and order. The apartheid law of course. He has a shop in Nablus where he sells books and writing materials. He has 10 children, 5 boys, 5 girls aged 5 to 22. One of his jobs is to distribute goods which shop owners in the small villages order. In the morning he left Nablus to do so and returned with his empty van. All this from Awarta for which is permit is valid because he is a trader. As a trader he has a magnetic card and also an entry permit into Israel.When he got to Awarta he was told that the permit had expired -, the permit is attached to his driving license and because the driving license had expired so has the permit. Therefore the soldiers said that he would have to go back through Awarta. When he got on to the road Awarta-Hawarra so as to return to Hawarra two soldiers stopped him because he had transgressed the apartheid laws. (Which by the way are not written and there is no traffic sign making mention of this.When I asked how they were to know that the road was forbidden the commander gave the usual reply which all the soldiers gives and which is so infuriating……that they know ! In other words the voice is carried by the wind to them. But Nur had a reply which was better. “Why are you so naïve Ada? Of course one can know. Any road of a high standard, wide, well looked after, with lights – that is a road which Palestinians may not drive on. Any narrow road, in a wadi, worn out, without road signs , full of stones which jump on the road that is a road which sometimes Palestinians can use (on condition that there are no settlers there) .” I think this is a very apt definition. And so the soldiers sent himk to Hawarra where he was arrested and his papers taken from him. When I reminded R. the commander that he is not allowed to punish he claimed that he was checking and nto punishing. After about another 20 detainees came and went and our friend was still there two hours later I asked how it could be that dafke he had not been checked and he replied that they are only checked if they are suspicious . And that this man was being checked in a more thorough way. I asked why? He idd not have a reply and said that he was no in the picture and that he was not responsible. (Today by the way I have been informed that he was blatantly lying and knew full well what was happening).As Micky F. can bear out I had been trying the entire time to get hold of the humanitarian centre and I must say that Noam’s character is the same as his name (pleasant) but this did not help. They have been trained to accept our requests, complains, but at the end of the day he can do nothing, only speak to the DCO. The DCO was at the checkpoint but did not help and maybe even made things worse. In the end by personal connections I I managed to get to the helped of the Minister of Defence. He promised me that he would immediately approach the coordinator of affairs in the area. At 17.10 when we left Yusuf was still in the enclosure and we exchanged phone numbers.17.30 Za’atara …16 cars from the west to east, 45 workers sitting on the hill of building garbage and rubbish in the middle of the checkpoint. We ask why and are told that an Israeli bus with an Israeli driver and Palestinian workers who work in the area of Barkan and who get to work every day in their employers’ bus which takes them from their workplace to Hawarra where they alight. Today the Israeli bus had the nerve to pass through the line meant for the lords of the land and not through that meant for the natives. The commander stopped the bus, the Israeli driver was freed to go home. The workers told us that he argued with the commander that he was no less Zionistic and no less patriotic than he, the commander. And dafke the workers who had no say in the choice of lane by the driver were detained on the rubbish heap, in the sun, without toilets or water (picture attached0. They had already been there between half an hour to an hour depending on whom you want to believe.We phoned the humanitarian center, to N., our friend, our wailing wall. Even he sounded shocked I think and promised to deal with the situation. We asked the commander why he punished the Palestinians and not the driver. He said “They should have made the driver take the correct lane.” We asked why. The answer had to be heard to be believed “Because they know.” One cannot believe the lack of sensitivity and the arrogant desire to abuse. We again said he was not allowed to punish and of course he replied that he was checking, not punishing. The woman soldier next to him said “They are not allowed to be here and they are interfering in our work.” And he ordered us away. But it seems that the phone call to the centre had its affect because as we moved off they began to give the ids back to the workers who were now stuck in the middle of the road with no way of getting home.18.00 -N. phoned to ask if all was well.20.00 -N. phoned to say that he had been told that all had been freed and if it were so. I tell him what I know and thank him profusely because of the interest he shows.The last word about the detention of Yusef Abu Said.I spoke to him after I had not been able to get hold of him the day before and this is what happened.He was at the checkpint until 19.30 even though the DCo told N. at the centre that he was freed at 17.30 . His wife came to see him and together they went to visit the parents in the village. They came back to the checkpoint at 20.30. R. the commander who claimed that the entire affair was not his responsibility shouted at him that now he would sit there and told his wife to get away. She refused and said she would only go with her husband. But what does he care if there were truly a check and that lasting 6 hours. It was only 22.00. He gave them their ids and freed them with the warning words ‘Not to travel again on that road”. In other words all those hours at the checkpoint were only to teach the “underrace” not to travel on the road of the lords. By the way Yusef had not renewed his license because he simply does not have the oney. Today he has done his best to borrow monty and tomorroe he will renew it.