Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 9.4.09, Afternoon
fNatanya translating.
14.15 Crossroads of Za'tara/Tapuach
The passage is fairly free, cars are checked and freed after 5 minutes. No lines.
14.45 Beit Furik. A quick passage and no lines.
15.00 Huwwara.
At least 150 pedestrians at the exit from Nablus. It took about an hour. When we came near to the checkpoint at the side of the exit from Nablus a military policeman came out of his post and shouted at us to get away and said he will stop the checking until we did so. Of course we went back a way and then a military police captain arrived and sent us back to the gate at the entrance to Nablus. There are 2 checking areas and a humanitarian line and as usual bags are checked and people have to lift their shirts and wait at least an hour in line to pass. At least three people were sent to the end of the line because the soldiers said they had "pushed in." Why are soldiers allowed to punish people for something which is not their business?
We asked the commander whom we met some time later and though he did not justified this he said that the military police have been here for two years and are burned out and no longer have the correct view of what is happening. One of the military policewoman shouts all the time at those passing with a terrible lack of patience.
The line of cars is huge and we cannot count how many. The checking takes about 7 minutes.
People waited in line at least half an hour. There are two checking areas and the commander apologised that he could not open another one and even the soldier who was supposed to warn Israelis at the entrance not to enter (today is a holiday and not Saturday) would help at the car line as there were not enough soldiers because of the holiday.
16.45 Za'tara. No lines.