Hawwara
Hawwara, 18 April 2005 Watchers: Dafna P., Ye’ela S (a new recruit), reporting: Miki F. A depressing shift! Everything that occupation can do to cause harm to Palestinians in its small details as well as to soldiers who love their fatherland and Gush Katif.Many held up – among them:A group of high school basketball players on their way to Ramallah – finally released to go on their way.Students entering Nablus are chosen arbitrarily, detained and, it seems, are taken to the Shabak in an attempt to recruit informers.A transit van driver leaving Nablus is held up on the allegation that his permit is forged. He is taken to the police for a 36-hour detention. He is released with a fine of NIS700 – we have still not managed to find out what the fine was for.7:35 a.m.Jit Junction – a snap police roadblock. There are no Palestinian cars in view.7:45 a.m.A mobile roadblock – this is now permanently at the entrance to the village of Hawwara – 12 cars are in the queue.8:10 a.mHawwara North - As we arrive we immediately see 17 people held up in the detention shed.Among them are high school students aged 16 – 17, accompanied by 2 adults, on their way to a basketball game in Ramallah. Boris, the roadblock officer, explains that they do not have a permit and that they will not be allowed through.When we ask, why detain them if, in any case, they are not going to be allowed to cross, the answer is: because it is necessary!Hussam, from the D.C.O., ‘more of a roadblocker than a roadblocker’ backs Boris up, and explains to us, indifferently, that they cannot cross because they do not have a permit. The last time he let them through. This time he won’t.We contacted Ra’ad, who answered shortly that he would check it out, and then apparently gave an order to Hussam who called the team manager over and in Hebrew (the team manager did not even guess that Hussam speaks Arabic) explained to him that he must request a permit and gave him the D.C.O. telephone number, etc., etc.8:25 a.m.7 others who had been detained were released.8:30 a.m.The basketball team gets permission to cross to Ramallah.At the same time, between the turnstiles, about 70 people are trying to leave Nablus.3 military police are carrying the checks out apathetically.We point the queue out to Boris.He sends a soldier between the front and the back turnstile to steer the queue and to hasten the people’s crossing.A ‘humanitarian’ queue for women and the elderly is started and within a minute or two there are no people.Between the sandbag emplacements a Gush Katif flag flies. When we ask what the flag is doing here the roadblockers answer that they love Gush Katif. When asked if they are not supposed to be ‘the people’s army’ they reply: so file a complaint!Boris signals from afar going tsk tsk and the flag disappears somewhere. Unfortunately we do not have a camera
.8:45 a.m.Boris the officer decides, apparently, to earn bonus points in his job.He arbitrarily chooses to check young people on their way to Nablus. He checks the documents of, and detains 5 students. The students cross daily and two of them have an examination.Boris expects that we will go to him and mimics our question: why are they being held up. The question is indeed asked and he explains that he has been ordered to do it and he does not like his work to be criticised. In spite of this all along he answers our questions politely.Little by little about another 8 people wishing to enter Nablus who are not students join those in the lock-up.9:05 a.m.We contact Ra’ad who promises to check.9:45 a.m.An order comes through to release those held up – Daniel who all the time refuses to answer our questions, looks at people’s documents and guesses who is who from their photos then starts to call out in a pseudo friendly way: hey, you the fat one, and you the short one. We complain to Boris who moves him later to checking cars.The students are not released. And we still do not grasp what is going to happen.An attempt to get hold of Ra’ad is not successful.9:50 a.m.We try the D.C.O. – we are transferred to Assaf and explain to him that the students want to get to Nablus and that they have exams, he will check.10:00 a.m.We contact Ben who explains that there is a reason for the detention of these people. We explain again that we saw the students chosen and taken from the queue arbitrarily. He will check.10:10 a.m.Hasson who works with Rabbis for Human Rights crosses the roadblock on his way from Nablus. He tells us that tear gas was fired at the roadblock. He does not know why. He didn’t see representatives of Machsomwatch.10:15 a.m.We try Ra’ad again. We still do not twig what is to happen.10:15 a.m.At the same time a delegation from the Hadash Party at the Histadrut, and among them Jihad Akel and M.K. Muhamed Barkah, arrive at the roadblock on their way to a meeting with trade unions officials in Nablus. It seems that there was no co-ordination. They wait for co-ordination from the Knesset. Muhamed Barkah also tries to contact Ra’ad – no answer.They receive a permit at 10:20 a.m. and enter Nablus.10:25 a.m.We decided to consult Edna on what else can be done – Edna figured out what was about to happen: they were to be arrested by the Shabak for the purpose of recruiting informers.She advises us to contact Yoni, the spokesperson of the Brigade commander, so that he knows we are witnesses to the recruitment process. According to her, they do not like us witnessing the process.Just as we are talking, a soldier arrives with the students’ papers and moves them into an army vehicle, just as Edna described.Since, until we spoke to Edna, we did not expect that this was going to happen, we did not manage to take their details.We noted the number of the military jeep – T668504 – and, as advised by Edna, hurried to call Yoni in order to demonstrate that we had witnessed the process. He listened, said he would get back to us but, as expected, we heard no more from him.10:45 a.m.2 cars want to enter Nablus. Boris does not let them in – they have no permit.11:00 a.m.A car with a logo of a drug company wishes to enter Nablus. At first it is refused. After 10 minutes it is allowed to cross but only after the contents of the cartons it is carrying have been checked.11:15 a.m.A taxi wishing to leave Nablus is held up at the side. We hear Boris on his wireless calling the civilian police because he has caught a driver with a forged permit.This time we hastily take the details of the driver Yousouf (we have the details), tried to talk Boris into releasing him, and ask how he knows the permit is forged – but he insisted on arresting him. They have to be checked – for the sake of the country and security.A conversation develops with the soldiers. Half ironically, half seriously I say to them that on their discharge they can work at the roadblocks of the new Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv for the sake of the security of the country.Boris answers seriously, perhaps that’s where the soldiers will go, but he intends to do something more significant with his career, but not necessarily in the army, maybe in the Shabak.We finally got it – he needs to gain points to help advance his career!11:45 a.m.A 19-year-old man wishes to cross into Ramallah. He is refused. He is a policeman and if he does not get there he will be fired. The military police claim that he should bring a permit from the D.C.O. He insists.Boris arrives and passes him through – he knows him and he is a policeman. In this instance no permit is needed.Who knows, maybe the young man is a policeman and an informer.12:00 p.m.The police have still not arrived; the taxi driver is concerned: what will happen to the taxi if he is taken away.Boris claims that his brother or someone from his family will be called to take the car.We leave having given the driver our details. We inform the next shift.12:15 p.m.Permanent snap roadblock at the exit from Hawwara – 18 cars waiting.12:35 p.m.Zatra Junction – 6 – 7 cars.2:00 p.m.Dafna spoke to Dvorka of the next shift. The police arrived and took the driver away and informed them that he would be held for 36 hours.In accordance with Edna M.’s advice – I left a message for Ada R., to find out what can be done for him.At 8:00 p.m. I tried Yousuf the driver again– he answered – he was home. It seems he was released but fined NIS700.9:00 p.m. Ada R. called back and said that the matter should be looked into as the driver is a Palestinian and not under the jurisdiction of Israeli Police. She will send notes on what to ask the driver.