Beit Iba, Anabta

Anabta-Beit Iba, 24.1.05 AMObservers: Rachel A, Ruchama S, Leah A, Edna M (reporting)Anabta8.00 – Sparse pedestrian traffic. The taxi and bus drivers say there are no problems. We continue to Beit Iba with a familiar hitchhiker, who lives in the house of the leather factory owners. She works in Nablus as an accountant.Beit Iba8.10 - traffic generally flowing, without many delays. We identify a crowd of Palestinians and what looks from a distance like (new) DCO representatives on the Kuchin side. Yesterday a new list of licence numbers of vehicles with permits was issued. Consequently many of he drivers coming from Kuchin are surprised to find they are not on the list and can’t go through. There is a commotion. The commander, politely and persistently sends them all back and they return and insist on their right to pass. A truck loaded with agricultural produce (milk, eggs etc) is barred. Behind it is an empty truck which appears on the list. After protracted negotiations the Palestinians load the produce on the empty truck and transport it.The commander makes it difficult for the DCO representative to record the 50 or so who do not appear on the new list in order to check why. And we do it for him beyond the checkpoint. The commander tells us we are disturbing him at his work. The DCO officer thanks us and informs the Plestinians that he will check the matter today. The DCO representatives are anxious to help but don’t speak Arabic and are hampered by the commander.9.40 – we left.