HUWWARA,BEIT IBA, Tuesday 1 June 2004 PMObservers: Ada R., Petahia T., Biria L., Edna K., Ella H. (reporting) color=red>Are there differences in human conduct even under impossible conditions? Apparently yes. The present reservist unit which was completing its tour of duty at the Beit Iba checkpoint proved that flexibility, maturity and humanity can alleviate a situation. At Huwwara, we encountered the rigidity and authoritarianism of conscripts. There were no unannounced checkpoints en route.13:30– We drove past Jubara checkpoint which presented the usual sight of detained vehicles, women waiting in the sun and about five detainees. There was no shade and the sun was blazing hot.13:4 — There were no soldiers at the Einav (Anabta) checkpoint, where a yellow iron gate very effectively blocks the road between Nablus and Tulkarm. Dozens of vehicles, about 15 buses and two to three ambulances were stuck there unable to proceed. Passengers got out of the cars and walked round the gate to enter other cars and thus continue their journeys.14:15 — There was a very long line of cars and trucks bound for the Nablus road at Beit Iba checkpoint : the explanation we received was that ambulances and UN cars were blocking the road further on and couldn’t be moved. There were only a few pedestrians wanting to go in this direction, but there was a dense crowd trying to go in the opposite direction — dozens of people, young people (students who’d ended their school year), and mothers with small children and packages. The reservists were as flexible and humane as possible under the conditions. Encouraged by us, they opened an additional exit by moving the barbed wire and let pregnant women with small children go through without waiting in line.15:00– But at the Huwwara checkpoint, the soldiers were conscripts acting very tough towards the Palestinians. Bulldozers were straightening the regular detainees’ ditch, so we waited at the checkpoint in line beyond the concrete barriers.At Huwwara South, I was greeted by A., the driver of one of the bulldozers, with his usual patriotic curses and name-calling – traitor, helping the enemy, I’d like to shoot you, etc. Traffic of pedestrians and cars alike was relatively sparse, but there were many detainees. Some seven to 10 at Huwwara North and about 15-20 at Huwwara South. The policy was simple: anyone of the “forbidden” age [i.e. men aged between 16 and 35] who didn’t have a permit was detained for four hours. ID cards were left at the checkpoint and the details were not sent for checking to the General Security Services (GSS) [also known by the Hebrew acronym of Shabak or Shin Bet]. Various explanations for detention without checking were put forward: the checkpoint commander at Huwwara South said that the aim was “education and punishment”. If Palestinians were detained today, tomorrow they’d have the proper documents. When I told him it wasn’t his job to educate them but to maintain security, he changed his explanation and said that communication problems prevented them from sending ID numbers to the GSS [ where they would be checked against a central list of security suspects]. As usual, the soldiers and the detainees had different versions of the length of their detention. Some of the Palestinians said they’d been there more than four hours (perhaps there should be some kind of ‘time clock’ or suitable form specifying the time of confiscation??) Even the employer of one of the detainees who had come from Nablus to pick him up for work, and had proof that the man worked for the Public Works Department, was unsuccessful. R. at the District Coordinating Office (DCO) [the section of the army that deals with civilian matters and usually has representatives at the checkpoints, ostensibly to alleviate the lot of the Palestinians] promised to help.At about 16.30 we left Huwwara for Beit Iba and glimpsed the soldiers summoning the detainees to come over to the checking position. Did they release them? The detainees’ cellular telephones were not accessible. At Beit Iba we found that the line had been cleared.