Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 2.1.08, Morning
Translation: Hanna K.
6:58 - we left road no. 5 and entered road no. 4765 which is again blocked since a few weeks. There are three heaps of earth, distanced from each other a few tens of meters and people descending from the vehicles which arrive from the direction of Dir Balut/the village of A Dick, Bruqin and people who wish to continue to the north east, are forced to descend when they reach these heaps and to climb on them until they reach the iron arm, where the cars from the opposite direction wait. The same goes for people coming from Bidia and Hares who wish to continue southwards (we have pictures of the place but at the moment I have no means to send them).
7:10 - We left.
7:25 - Za'tara:
There are no cars from the west and no cars coming from the north were detained.
7:35 - We left as there was no queue.
7:53 - Beit Furik:
A very long procession of vehicles wishing to leave the village. One of the drivers reports that he has been waiting for two hours in the queue. Another driver says that there was a vehicle of the DCO which took off. We reported to K. from the center who said that she knew about it, and that a DCO representative ought to be there. We approached the CP.
Another taxi driver who also reported that he has been waiting for two hours already, is now finally approaching the CP. He leaves the car and walks a few steps. A soldier signals to him with a movement of his finger to stop, lift his coat, turn around, hand the ID. The drives proceeds with the taxi. He stops at the checking post, opens the lid of the trunk, soldiers peep inside, hand him the ID, he enters the taxi and proceeds.
8:15 - the DCO representative arrives.
An elderly woman walks with difficulty, no on the turnstiles path. A soldier girl cries out: "what is the matter with her!" A man who supports the woman explains. They pass.
Drivers begin to advance. The CP commander begins to discipline the drivers. Now it becomes a power contest. The DCO representative joins the CP commander and immediately a soldier-girl arrives too. All are busy with order. After all order there must be! The girl soldier says: "The CP is closed".
A driver replies: "let it be shut down all my life".
The soldiers laughingly return to the checking posts. Is all this an entertainment for them?
The CP isn't closed after all (not yet) and they start letting two cars at a time pass.
8:47 - the checking is stopped. The soldiers are on a cigarette smoking break. The smoke at the checking posts.
8:52 - We complain to A. at the center and she agrees that "this really is not in order".
9:00 - They still do not let cars pass.
9:01 - They now let cars pass. How long does it take to smokek a cigarette?
9:05 - we left.
9:17 - Huwwara:
One of the people at the parking lot complains that there are times drivers are commanded to vacate the parking lot and they have to clean it "they treat us like animals" he says. And what about the toilets? And what about shed for protection against the rain in winter and the sun in summer? Drivers asked for this already in the past.
D. the CP commander asks us to refer to him if there is any problem.
9:38 - there are about 30 people in the pedestrians' queue.
There are 3 checking posts. An x-ray machine. A girl dog-trainer.
9:52 - A soldier tell us that we are not allowed to stand where we stand (under the shed, near the turnstiles). We sent him to the commander.
10:15 - we left.