Beit Iba

Beit Iba Wed.23.2.05 AMObservers: Netty A, Rina Z, Michalina D (reporting)Beit Iba 8:00-9:50 Lively pedestrian traffic, sparse vehicle traffic. The regulations for passage to and from Nablus are unchanged, still only cars whose licence numbers appear on the lists, ambulances and doctors’ cars.A minor change in the structure – lighting is being installed.The checkpoint is manned by the company of reservist we saw last week, and by one MP and a DCO representative.In contrast to the certain relief we felt last week at the speed of passage, there now seems to be a deterioration. Checks are stricker and there is a return to the custom of detaining, apparently randomly, people with passage permits, for checking of their papers by the Security Service. Throughout our watch there was always someone in the detainees’ compound. The delay was not long (10-15 minutes), but the detainee of course always missed his bus, wasting time and money.The attitude of the soldiers towards the Palestinians was reasonable but there was no room for individual decision-taking. One of the soldiers was particularly hostile and arrogant. We heard that yesterday the checkpoint guards were accused of having let a wanted man through “their” checkpoint. This could explain the stricter attitude today.Around 8:15 a boy arrived in search of his ID which was confiscated yesterday around 17:00 near his home village of Ain Nequra and the settlement of Shavei Shomron. He wanted to cross a road and was stopped by soldiers in a jeep. One of them took his ID and told him to come to Beit Iba the next day to get it back.The commander and the DCO representative knew nothing about it. After waiting 45 minutes in the detainees’ compound while the DCO officer checked the whereabouts of the ID, the boy was sent home with order to return at 13:00. We were told they would continue to investigate but the soldiers suspected that the story was fabricated because the boy didn’t remember the licence number of the jeep. We insisted on a more thorough investigation, informed the Moked, gave the boy their telephone number and tried, unsuccessfully, to contact the army humanitarian hotline. While we were doing so, the company commander arrived and the boy gave him the details, including an exact description of the soldier who took his ID. We gained the impression that the CO knew where to search, and the boy was told to come back at 13:00. If the ID wasn’t found by then, he would be allowed through to Nablus to obtain a new ID.By some miracle an army vehicle stopped the boy in his way home and gave him his ID. His uncle informed me by telephone.