Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 29.10.07, Afternoon
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Observers:
Macky S. Riva B. Merav A. Nur B. reporting
Oct-29-2007
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Afternoon
Natanya translating
13.50 Zeita.
The width of the road to the village is blocked by cement blocks and the villagers say that since the attack at Ariel the iron bar at the entrance to the village which opened at 8.00 is also blocked. The army claims that stones were thrown. After Merav explained to I. at the centre were Zeita is and I. said she knew nothing of this she said she would check. She later told Merav that the army said that the entrance had been blocked because of the attack but that there was another entrance. The latter fact is important to the army because the court decision forbad the blocked of a road when this is the only one available.
14.05 Za'tara (Tapuach).
19 cars in both direction and the commander said that there were no limitations and no alerts. We arrived when the shift was being changed and the cars waiting quietly.
14.25 Beit Furik.
As happened last week the soldiers demanded that we withdraw from the checkpoint and when we refused stopped the traffic. Cars and people piled up and one driver said "They are children." We withdrew and complained to the centre and the brigade and phoned R. of the DCO. Some minutes later captain H. arrived from the DCO . We went back to the checkpoint and again the passage was stopped. H. spoke to the commander and the passage was reopened while we were there. When H. came up to us we understood that he saw the closing of the checkpoint as being illegal but we went back to the white line…there is no such thing at Beit Furik yet but there will be. This is legitimate and the commander has the authority to do this. In the meantime the commander spoke to the assistant battalion commander by phone , two soldiers speak amongst themselves and go the end of the checkpoint and with chalk scratch out a line.
On the way to the checkpoint the drivers have told us about a young man who is in isolation. The soldiers see me speaking to him and burst into shouts…"Mother you are forbidden to speak to him. You have crossed the white line and the commander says that next time they will call in the police. We spoke to the centre about the detainee and D. of the DCO says that he tried to leave Nablus through a path and has been detained for 3 hours. There are three checking areas and as usual at this time of the day the line is long. The young men take off their belts while they pass the metal detector and some of them do the ritual dance. We got different answers as to the length of time that they waited. The older people and women stood in a side line. The side where we are standing is completely empty and the men are not allowed to redress themselves in this area. The terror that is employed here so as to carry at the "territorial demands" was shown by a driver who tried to speak to us. He stood outside the area and called us to come to him.
At 4.30 - A policeman arrives and demands that we go back to the fenced area. We wanted to show him the paper with the decision of the judge that it is forbidden to send us away from the checkpoint but he says he will decide himself if he wants to look at it and then when he has seen it says that next time we have to bring a letter saying exactly where we can stand. It ended with him asking us not to stand too close to the turnstiles in case we should get a knock.
16.30 - Another detainee who tried to slip through, but we had actually seen him trying to pass something on to someone else and had not tried to jump over the turnstile.
16.55 Za'tara (Tapuach)
6 cars in both directions.
13.50 Zeita.
The width of the road to the village is blocked by cement blocks and the villagers say that since the attack at Ariel the iron bar at the entrance to the village which opened at 8.00 is also blocked. The army claims that stones were thrown. After Merav explained to I. at the centre were Zeita is and I. said she knew nothing of this she said she would check. She later told Merav that the army said that the entrance had been blocked because of the attack but that there was another entrance. The latter fact is important to the army because the court decision forbad the blocked of a road when this is the only one available.
14.05 Za'tara (Tapuach).
19 cars in both direction and the commander said that there were no limitations and no alerts. We arrived when the shift was being changed and the cars waiting quietly.
14.25 Beit Furik.
As happened last week the soldiers demanded that we withdraw from the checkpoint and when we refused stopped the traffic. Cars and people piled up and one driver said "They are children." We withdrew and complained to the centre and the brigade and phoned R. of the DCO. Some minutes later captain H. arrived from the DCO . We went back to the checkpoint and again the passage was stopped. H. spoke to the commander and the passage was reopened while we were there. When H. came up to us we understood that he saw the closing of the checkpoint as being illegal but we went back to the white line…there is no such thing at Beit Furik yet but there will be. This is legitimate and the commander has the authority to do this. In the meantime the commander spoke to the assistant battalion commander by phone , two soldiers speak amongst themselves and go the end of the checkpoint and with chalk scratch out a line.
15.35 - Huwwara
On the way to the checkpoint the drivers have told us about a young man who is in isolation. The soldiers see me speaking to him and burst into shouts…"Mother you are forbidden to speak to him. You have crossed the white line and the commander says that next time they will call in the police. We spoke to the centre about the detainee and D. of the DCO says that he tried to leave Nablus through a path and has been detained for 3 hours. There are three checking areas and as usual at this time of the day the line is long. The young men take off their belts while they pass the metal detector and some of them do the ritual dance. We got different answers as to the length of time that they waited. The older people and women stood in a side line. The side where we are standing is completely empty and the men are not allowed to redress themselves in this area. The terror that is employed here so as to carry at the "territorial demands" was shown by a driver who tried to speak to us. He stood outside the area and called us to come to him.
15.52 - The checkpoint is closed and two soldiers go into the turnstiles to bring about order and we see them kicking and shoving. Cursing. "Your mother's cunt go back go back.
At 16.03 - when the men stand in straight lines the checkpoint is opened again.
These are the orders that one soldier barked out at a young man who was first in line when this "orderly movement" ended and he was ordered to show how one should pass through. I wrote this down exactly as it happened. "Now come here. What do you have in your pockets? Now take everything out. OUT. Don't play the fool with me. Hands, legs.. (that is hold out your arms and legs and do the dance) . Good. Go back. Pass (through the metal detector) , They understand Hebrew very well." All this he spits out and the student, humiliated, comes out and says to me "Are we animals?"At the entrance to Nablus IDs are checked and permits and there is not much traffic. The exit is as always with the soldier with a motion of a hand summoning the driver who comes forward and the passengers get out and go on foot, IDs of all are checked and they go on their way. About 4 minutes to a car depending on the number of passengers. 11 minutes for a van. This does not include the time spent waiting. The passengers always have to wait for a longer time.At 4.30 - A policeman arrives and demands that we go back to the fenced area. We wanted to show him the paper with the decision of the judge that it is forbidden to send us away from the checkpoint but he says he will decide himself if he wants to look at it and then when he has seen it says that next time we have to bring a letter saying exactly where we can stand. It ended with him asking us not to stand too close to the turnstiles in case we should get a knock.
16.30 - Another detainee who tried to slip through, but we had actually seen him trying to pass something on to someone else and had not tried to jump over the turnstile.
16.55 Za'tara (Tapuach)
6 cars in both directions.