Jit, Beit Iba

Jit, Beit Iba 3.1 AMObservers: Ronny S, Rachel A, Edna M (reporting) Guest: Naomi LSarra8.20 – no checkpoint. The road is open to traffic, but from a distance we can see a line of cars and buses at Jit.Jit checkpoint. 8.30 – a line of cars, blue buses and trucks waiting to go through the unannounced checkpoint. After we park, a settler’s car arrives with orange flags flying. He turns back and parks behind us. We pass him by and greet him with “Good morning”. He answers pleasantly and stays in his car. We watch the checking of vehicles from the sidelines. Bus passengers are taken off and their papers are checked. Everything proceeds without unnecessary delays and the line shrinks relatively fast. Meanwhile a taxi driver is detained and his ID taken for checking. A group of 4 Palestinians comes over to us. They tell us they travelled by bus from Jenin to Ramallah but were detained for checking. Meanwhile the bus has continued on its way and they are stranded without being able to continue their journey. While we were talking, a bus on its way to Ramallah arrived and they boarded it.Beit Iba9.40 – Traffic is flowing, checks are cursory. There is a group of detainees and we learn that some of them have been there for two hours. They are released 15 minutes after we arrive (the commander telephones to speed up the procedure). The second group of 5 detainees are being checked. One of them, familiar to us from previous encounters, is shackled in the detention cell. His friends bring him a cigarette and coffee. The commander says the detainee threatened him and his papers are being checked “and he may be arrested.” Rachel gives the detainee her telephone and he is taken off, still shackled, after ten minutes.The checkpoint force is being replaced today. The DCO officer was present throughout our watch.9.40 – we leave.