Deir Sharaf, Sun 3.5.09, Afternoon

Summary

Today is the first shift we've carried out after the police raid on our sister activists in New Profile. More than ever, it's our duty, as well, of course, our right, to do what we do at the checkpoints and within Israel to epitomize the legal and moral basis on which this country is supposed to stand. Meanwhile, today, we stood at checkpoints and monitored and bore witness, as we have done over the long years since the start of the Second Intifada. 

13:30 Deir Sharaf

A car and an Israeli truck, both with yellow license plates, stand off to the side of this new checkpoint, planted, suddenly in the middle of the narrow roadway leading to the center of the village. Ten minutes later, the car is allowed to proceed in the direction of Nablus. The new Israeli flag placed atop the army's amateurish look-out tower is clean and bright compared to the grey, cloud bedecked sky and dying spring grasses.

13:45 An Israeli pick up truck (yellow license plates) is stopped on its way in the direction of Nablus, turns around, as ten minutes later, a white Mercedes.

There's a steady stream of traffic in both directions, of no interest to the soldiers unless it bears the ominous Israeli license plates!