Jubara, Tuesday afternoon, 7 March 2006 Watchers: Ariela, Galit, Amit, Fathia, Zehava G.13:45, Jubara Checkpoint On our way here we were told by phone that “Death to the Arabs” was written on the detention pen. And, indeed, somebody had scratched the slogan on three of the white-painted windows. Using a nail, we were able to scratch it off.A white taxi-van arrived and three 13-14 year old (according to them) children got out. They looked younger to us. They said that they had just been released from prison and brought here. The youngest (looked ten years old to us) said that he had sat three months in Tel Mond Prison for throwing stones. He and his companions live in Beit Or near Ramallah. They had no money. The soldier at the checkpoint said they cannot pass. One of the boys said his uncle was waiting for him beyond the checkpoint. While we were debating with the soldier about letting them through, the taxi-van came back and a prison officer (his insignia had three leaves – perhaps equal to an army colonel) descended. One of the youngsters had forgotten a bag in the van, and the officer was returning it. The soldier asked the prison officer why the boys were being dropped at Jubara, and he responded that those were his orders, then he left. Finally the soldier let them pass. In his opinion, there was room to submit a complaint (about the prison service), perhaps to the Council for Protection of Children, the Centre for Rights of the Individual, or the prison service itself.Zehava adds the followingAt 13:50, we reached the checkpoint and our attention was drawn to the slogan “Death to Arabs” that we found painted on the windows of the detainee hut. Members of our group erased the slogans from the windows. One detainee was waiting for permission to cross from Jubara to Tulkarm to his grandfather’s funeral, but he did not have a pass.Finally a captain arrived in his car, and when I asked that the youngster be allowed to pass, he contended that the boy must be lying and, if I persist, he will within five minutes “get the truth out of him.” I let it go. In any case he let him pass after I asked, what difference does it make why he is going to Tulkarm?Ariella has reported her meeting with three children released from prison.MachsomWatch note: I wanted to ask if the Council for Protection of Children gets our reports on the state of children and youth that we meet.