Za’atra, Huwwara, Beit Furiq 3 May 2006 Watchers: Yehudit P., Dalia V., Nurit V-L., Chana A. (reporting)Summary: Israel’s Independence is expressed in the sweeping restriction of freedom of movement for the residents of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus. The concrete blocks on the way are full of blue and white posters: “We are not celebrating. ‘Independence 2006’. (Everyone and his/her reasons.) Young settlers obstruct at Za’atra roadblock, but are not moved away.Za’atra7:40 a.m. From the westerly direction – 5 cars.From the direction of Za’atra – 17 cars.Two checkpoints are functioning. Six people are detained (inasmuch as we were able to count) but are released a short time after our arrival. We were unable to see in which direction they went.The lieutenant who says that he is the commander does not permit us to stand near the soldiers and does not answer our questions. He threatens to call the police to us.There is a dog at the roadblock.Little by little we collect partial information: the residents of Jenin and Tulkarm are not permitted to continue on from here and there is no exit from Nablus. It would appear that the ‘separation’ order will continue until tomorrow.Passengers are taken off buses and beside one bus is a man using crutches.A taxi carrying women is turned back.While we are standing there a young boy wearing a large crocheted kippa arrives, he has a wispy beard on this chin, and is accompanied by a young girl of his own age (they look about 18 years-old). The boy talks about us to the girl and shouts at us all the time “Sharmutot (whores in Arabic), bitches, go and sleep with Arabs”. The girl actually tries to silence him and to hold a more civilised conversation, but it is important to him to demonstrate his bursting virility to the extent that he tries to separate Dalia and the girl with his body and shouts at Dalia telling her to take her hands off. “Ezra, Ezra, come here”, he calls to another young settler, who is standing at the hitchhikers’ station opposite, inviting him to join the party. When they talk to the soldiers, while the soldiers are checking Palestinians, and when they harass the Palestinians who have been taken out of their vehicles, the commander permits it.A little way past the entrance to Beita, on the opposite side of the road, there are two military vehicles parked. We did not see an obstruction but at 10:00 a.m., on our way back, there was a mound of earth across the road.Yitzhar There are 30 cars.A telephone call to the humanitarian centre received the reply that the congestion at the roadblock will be checked out. Meanwhile we receive all the information: the residents of the area of Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm are under ‘separation’. The last roadblock they have a chance of reaching – if they indeed left home at all – is Tapuach. As for humanitarian cases: “each case will be judged on its own merits”. Huwwara8:10 a.m. A soldier guards the settlers’ hitchhiking station.There are very few pedestrians both entering and leaving. The traffic entering is heavier at this time.There are two checkpoints working according to the new system: I.D. inspection and physical checks at the same point. (Meanwhile huge amounts of money have been spent on the turnstiles, the concrete and the frames.)An x-ray machine for bags and parcels stands where the car checkpoint is located, but is not used.If we said before that the ‘separation’ is sweeping, here, at Huwwara, a soldier ‘only’ knows about preventing those aged between 15 – 30 from crossing.A man from Asira A-Kabiliya comes with a torn I.D. card. According to him, yesterday a soldier at the roadblock took his document and returned it to him torn in half. The matter is checked. Neither the soldier nor the commander had a real answer. The man continued on his way to Nablus.A lorry driver from Tulkarm wants to go to Nablus. He usually carries loads of vegetables. Now his lorry is empty. Awarta is closed today, but he is not allowed to enter Nablus from Huwwara and he turns round and returns.A man pushes an old woman in a wheel chair, holding a stick, all the way to Nablus.8:45 a.m.An elderly woman is turned back with a youth because of his age. An elderly woman is carried in a baggage cart (a performance which is becoming more frequent lately).9:50 a.m.A woman is taken off an ambulance which arrived from the direction of Huwwara, she is supported by paramedics who lead her to a vehicle north of the checkpoint.Beit Furiq9:154 a.m. Light traffic.9:30 a.m.A driver who works with the Public Works Department asks for our help to get a permit to cross via Beit Iba to Nablus. We tried but were given a negative answer.Yitzhar10:00 a.m. 12 cars.In Huwwara village the main street is empty and the shops are closed.Za’atra10:05 a.m. There are 3 cars and two checkpoints. A Palestinian ambulance waits to move a woman with a wounded leg to hospital in Ramallah. With her in the vehicle are her companion and two paramedics. The commander does not allow us to get close, so we contacted the centre, but a crossing permit was not granted and about half an hour after its arrival the ambulance turns back the way it came. Several soldiers who were on a meal break at the time asked us for a knife to cut a cake. We took advantage of it to find out about the ambulance. One of them becomes a medical specialist and so he knows that “according to her x-rays there is nothing wrong with her”. On our wondering how he comes by such knowledge he answers that he once worked for Magen David Adom!!!In the area of the roadblock, close to the checkpoints, the settlers who had been there on our arrival wandered about with reinforcements and continued making comments about the Palestinians and about us. The commander did nothing to move them away, but as we said, he moved us away and warned that he would call the police.The dog handler, with whom we had talked, confirmed that their presence was a hindrance and also the fact that nothing was done to get rid of them!!!10:25 a.m.From the direction of Tapuach there are now some 20 cars.10:35 a.m.The blockage near Barkan, on Road No. 4765, is an iron arm across the road, backed up by mounds of earth and a military vehicle.