'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Sun 26.4.09, Afternoon

Natanya translating.

15.10 Beit Furik.
Few cars especially taxis which pass quickly and are checked randomly.
A patrol policeman says that he knows us for a long time already and that there have been many alerts and we must be careful. He advises us not to come in the next few days. He says he is there because it is his duty.
He is accompanied by a soldier who guards him with drawn weapon and does not understand at all our answer that we too are there because it is our moral duty as citizens to be at each and every checkpoint.
In the meantime it turns out that the policeman who has been speaking to us so pleasantly has taken Hamdan's papers and afterwards informed him that he is removing him from the road because his license plate is not clear. A long dialogue follows with him until he returns the license to the obvious displeasure of the soldier on guard.
15.30 The police stop a private car which only a few minutes before had been checked by the soldiers at the checkpoint and again make a very thorough and long search. When we ask if they do not rely on the soldiers the policeman says that he only has to answer to his commander and afterwards it turns out from his explanations that they were looking for drugs. What connection is there between the police and drugs in the area of the Palestinian Authorities. Nu. A good way to catch Jews who are drug dealers.
 
16.00 Huwwara.
The checkpoint is nearly empty and there are "only" two detainees who are waiting for a clearance.
3 students from East Juersalem get out of the bus leaving southern Nablus.
They are sent back to Nablus to go through Beit Iba. Why?
This is the decree of the day and the orders from above. Later we are told that today it is graduation at the university and there have been parties. Students are returning home. This is a good reason to harass and make their lives miserable.
16.20 Israeli citizens are dealt with by the police but free after 15 minutes.
Another three students with blue IDs are sent back to Nablus by the DCO representative.
Hardly any cars leaving Nablus. A truck with fruit is sent back to Nablus. There are more pedestrians but the passage is swift and quiet.
Two men between 50-60 years of age are detained. They have blue IDs and we guess that they are lecturers from the university. They refuse to go back to Nablus and wait. The elderly men are free and go on their way at 17.10. Their obstinacy paid off.
The taxi drivers promise us that in two hours time many students on their way home will arrive and then there will be a real traffic jam. We were sorry that we could not stay.
 
18.10 Azzun Atma.
Workers comeback from work. Every few minutes an Israeli car arrives and a group of workers return to the village. They have a wait of about 10 minutes. The permits are given for work in the  nearby settlements and the factories on the other side of the road.
A man wanting to buy marble at the nearby factory is not allowed to pass and one of the workers volunteers to call the owner of the factory to speak to him at the checkpoint.