Hawwara

Huwwara North Tuesday 22 February 2005 MorningWatchers: Nurit V, Lirit L., Yael P., Rachel A., Ettie P., reporting: Tal A.8:15 a.m.Seven are held up, they say that they have been waiting 10 minutes. Within a few minutes they are all released. The officer at the road block, 2nd lieutenant A. (Ariel), manages things quietly and efficiently. He also neutralises the ‘over-excitement’ of one of the soldiers who is angry at people who are crossing ‘all over the place’ and who feels that iron blocks should be used to block the passing places. ‘A’ placates him and tells him that there is no pressure and he can allow people through freely. We note that despite the large number of soldiers at the road block, from time to time a queue builds up in front of the carousels because. in actual fact, only one or two girl soldiers are carrying out the document checks.Every few minutes people are held up and then released a short time later. To our surprise the majority are older (aged 40 – 50). The roadblock officer says that there are warnings about an older terrorist.9.30 a.m.Again a number of people are held up, but this time for longer. More and more people are added and the number reaches 13, among them is a young girl. After about an hour, the officer takes her to the side to be checked and it turns out that she is held up because her new husband is ‘on the wanted list’. Machi, who lives in Nablus and is active in the ‘Rabbis for Civil Rights’ arrives at the southern road block with the girl’s sister-in-law and tries to talk to the soldiers in order to help her.We try a number of times to speed up the document checks of those held up, but we are told that the General Security Service (Shabak) has a large work load. We, and it appears the soldiers too, are very frustrated with the situation. After about 2 hours the older men are released and later the younger ones are also released. Only the girl remains. We have to leave.Tal Ayal