Tyassir and Bekaot, Thursday 20.10.05, AM Observers: Yehudit. H, Rachel. H, Revital, S. 07.00 TyassirFour vehicles from the Ti’assir direction cross over without any hindrance. We are told that the schoolchildren who go through this checkpoint have already gone by. Apparently the schoolchildren we saw on the way do not use this checkpoint.A car with three passengers is denied passage since one of the passengers is “nonpassworthy”. The explanation we receive: he is from Ti’assir and during closure, he cannot pass without proper authorization from the brigade headquarters.Today, it turns out, the soldiers manning the checkpoint are from the religious NAHAL regiment, they are cheerful and lighthearted. Their motto is: “don’t worry the fish said” (rhymes in Hebrew) (is it from the bible?)The ass and the foal that were here last time are gone, there are however some cows grazing by. Unlike the ass they were not tied to the post.We were told that the workers who usually use this checkpoint had already gone through by the time we arrived.As a farewell token the soldiers suggested we begin working to promote the rights of settlers and soldiers. 0.8.00 – Be’kaot Checkpoint A new sign “Beware Checkpoint” greets us.The inspection point has been moved back – the vehicles from the Jordan Valley and from Tubas are inspected at the T junction. Vehicles approaching from Tubas stop about 200 meters before the inspection point and are summoned one by one.The lords of the land speed through without stopping, to and from the Jordan valley. The Israeli/settler traffic is much heavier than the local traffic. One of the vehicles, not required to stop, is driving towards the Jordan Valley, displaying military insignia and an official inscription: “Door to Door Service, YchShM Central Zone”. Does anybody know what kind of service is delivered to what clients by a military vehicle driving from the direction of Mehola to the Jordan valley?A trailer on a truck, traveling from Jericho to Ti’assir, had not been permitted to pass through the Ti’assir checkpoint, here, it is granted passage without any particular difficulties. (why?) There, (in Ti’assir) the elderly father was driving the truck, now the driver is a young man, probably one of his sons.Shortly after we arrive a truck loaded with fodder approaches from the direction of the Jordan valley. The driver requests to go through to Ti’assir where the owner of the truck lives (this is the hired driver). His passage permit does specify that he is actually driving someone else’s truck. The truck was not allowed through. The explanation given is that during closure merchandise cannot be transported without a special permit. We try to determine, how a truck loaded with fodder, crossing over to an area with no Jewish settlements, harm anyone?, we receive no real answer. The restriction seem categorical; the truck was ordered away from the checkpoint but did not leave the area.Following about ten calls to the Jericho DCO and the Civilian Administration headquarters in Beit El, extensive communicated discussions with the post at the checkpoint and the arrival of the DCO representative, the truck was eventually permitted to pass through, and then at 10.00 we also left.