Qalandiya, Sun 5.5.13, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Roni Hammermann, Norah Orlow and Tamar Fleishman (reporting)
May-5-2013
|
Afternoon

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

 

A young woman from Nablus was being taken from an occupied territories ambulance to a Jerusalem ambulance while carrying in her arms her month old babyinfo-icon, who was born with heart disease. They were headed to Makased hospital where the baby would receive treatment and perhaps be operated on.

A female soldier holding a long rifle ordered the driver of the ambulance to open the woman's bag and present it before her, so that she could make sure that there were no suspicious substances or bombs in it. 

 

A security man was also there (from the Civil Security Company), a gun was in his holster and he was guarding the soldier with the long rifle. He was angry with us and especially with the camerainfo-icon and called the police.

The ambulances had already left when the police arrived and demanded that we step away. We didn't.

"You are detained for insubordination to a police officer, accompany us",

They said and took us to the police station inside the checkpoint.

We were detained for 45 minutes. 

 

But we aren't Palestinians and that makes all the difference:

Dov, the police officer, consulted with his superiors regarding our case, when he returned he filled three detainment forms, one for each of us, just like the forms they used to make the Palestinians sign when detained at the notorious Ar-Ram checkpoint.

Dov made us sign it. We didn't get a copy. He said that only a lawyer could request and receive a copy.

Gabi Laski and the people in her office, who were informed the moment we were detained and were supportive of us, had already filed the request for a copy.

If the security man files a complaint against us (officer Dov explained), an inquiry would open and perhaps there would also be a trial, and we too have the right to complain about the security guard and then an inquiry regarding him would open.

 

I, and I speak only for myself, will not file a complaint regarding their behavior, because it is my opinion that I am/ we are not the center of the narrative of the occupation.

 

Once we were released from our forced delay at the police station, we crossed to the Palestinian side of the checkpoint. The air was filled with tear gas fumes and remaining of car tires were still burning by the wall - a testimony to what occurred between the checkpoint and the refugee camp while we were detained.

And on the main road heading west was a convoy of vehicles honking their horns and in them were men cheering and waving flags from the open windows: "my uncle was released from prison!" yelled one of them.