Beit Iba

Beit Iba Sunday, PM. 6.3.05 Observers: Alix W., Aliyah S., Susan L. (reporting)Guests: Ann S., Zalman A.Summary: "A Long Day's Journey into Night," perhaps because the shifttook place later in the day than usual, but also reminiscent of thethemes in Eugene O'Neill's play: communication breakdown, interactionsfull of (the occupier) talking around a subject, daring not toapproach anything directly; remoteness from reality, illustrated bylies, denial, fantasy and social isolation. A play of old sorrow, ofsquandered potential. And what we bear witness to is the same againand again and again. 16:20 At the T-junction (name not known) with road to Deir Sharaf/BeitIba and road to Kdumim and Jit Junction: We've been advised of a bothersome flying checkpoint. Although thefrustrated taxi drivers at Anabta told of about 80 vehicles waiting inline to be checked for hours and hours, by the time we get there, onlyabout 20 vehicles, from either side of the junction, and a group offour soldiers (but nobody pointing a gun at us or anybody else thisweek). What's different: this is a very busy T-junction which we'venever seen with a flying checkpoint. On our return, 17:35, thesoldiers are still there, but the Palestinian car in front of us isnot stopped, so we assume that the checkpoint too is packing up forthe night! 16:30- 17:30 Beit IbaShoes and hardware have now joined the fruit, hot and cold drinks andhumus offered for sale on the approaches to the checkpoint. There aremany people passing, intent on getting on with their homeward journeyvia bus or taxi. The checkpoint itself is very crowded with peoplereturning from Nablus, a "difficult day" according to the soldiers. 16:40 There are a couple of detainees, one of whom asks us to handover his wrapped slide rule which a fellow student is carrying withhim through the turnstile. Both young men are released soon after ourarrival, but only after L., the reservist captain, enters theelectronically controlled compound and talks to them. As is our wont, we hang around the pillbox, observing the masses ofpeople on either side of the turnstiles - not very orderly, notparticularly slowly, and Z., checking IDs gives me the name of theofficer in charge. The captain approaches and proceeds to lecture uson the fact that we're bothering them as they work. L. repeats thisover and over, although telling us he will talk to us when the crowdsare less.He keeps his word, and what follows is an interesting insight intowhat and how he thinks. "I don't like what you (MachsomWatch) do, butI know it's important." Indeed, we'd made a mental note that he's beenmuch aware of us since we arrived. He continues to talk about the"dilemma" for reservists like himself, and grasps the disparitybetween conscript soldiers and reservists. "Sure," he says, "they're18 or 19, have no patience and are full of their own power (seereference to same in today's Anabta report). L. also tells us the Nablus has "the biggest concentration ofterrorists" (similar to what we heard last week that there's not just"one terrorist, but a whole organization" - in Tulkarm). So thehelicopters that we see and hear over the coastal region, and whichwere quiet after the early February meeting and agreement in Sharmel-Sheikh, have returned to "working" in the Occupied Territories(after the Tel Aviv suicide bombing ten days ago) -- not something weread about in our newspapers. This afternoon, we're told that 3000 people have already passedthrough the turnstiles from Nablus, this morning about 2000 went in.During the hour we're there, the crowds thin out, and by the time weleave there is practically no one coming in on foot. We're also toldthat the checkpoint stays open until 18:30 - or around that time -since it's often around 18:00 that humanitarian cases come to thecheckpoint. Note: much as it might be important to stay until then, we will not doso, the reason being fear of lethal potholes which are all over thelast stretch of road (after the settlement turnoff) before Beit Iba. 17:00 An English-speaking young woman with her father (?) and aJordanian passport speaks of her daily problems with the soldiers."Yesterday," she laments, "I was held for two hours, this morning itwas easy." L. has taken her passport inside the pillbox. She thinksthere will be problems, but he returns immediately with it. Shecomplains that if she tells a problem-creating soldier that anotherlet her through, the response is always, "I'm the boss and don't carewhat the other said or did." 17:03 Another well-spoken young woman carrying an MBA course bookentitled, "Human Resource Management" has left her ID at home, doesn'tknow the number. Her husband, a pharmacist, in Qalqilya, is at work,so can't come to "rescue" her, but this morning she passed with noproblem. And now, too, it's only a few minutes before L. lets her goon homewards.17:15 A medical services or medical supplies representative arrivesfrom the vehicle checkpoint lanes, quite harried, at the pillbox. Heinsists that he doesn't need a permit for the car, and that thismorning exiting Nablus was fine. Now it's another story. His car, withtrunk and bonnet wide open, is parked on the side of the road. Amilitary policewoman takes a leashed dog who bounces into the opentrunk of and next into the body of the car where the policewoman hasalready pulled up the cushions. The captain watches this performancewhich goes on for about ten minutes, the young man smoking on theside. Eventually, as our heads are turned bearing witness to somethingelse, the car has ridden off - not into the sunset, but into thegrowing darkness.