Jit Junction Huwwara

Jit Junction, Huwwara, Saturday 08.04.06 AMObservers: Varda G., Hava H Hannah B., Naomi R., Vivi Z., Susan (guest)Translation: Erez L.08.30 – 11.30In these days of closure and encirclement, there are additional restrictions and new burdens imposed upon both the permanent checkpoints (CP) around Nablus, as well on the remaining roads open to traffic in the area, which are subject to rolling checkpoints. And to fill out the picture, the Israeli police also come to fill in holes in the closures, to destroy people’s lives, and to ruin the local economy.At 6am at the Jit junction, there was a machine for exploding suspicious packages and an army robot, and traffic at the junction was stopped until 9am. We do not know whether or not there was an explosive device. The soldiers were wary to open the closure, even after having heard an order to “open the CP already.” Certain cars that had been waiting in the line in horror for a long time decided to try and zoom through the CP in order to make it through before it was closed again, and soldiers, frustrated that they were unable to disrupt the remainder of the Palestinians’ day, detained a group of Palestinians who went on foot through the junction next to the street that leads from Sara. Their identity papers were taken, and the soldiers informed them that they would not be returned for four or five hours in order to teach the Palestinians a lesson. The lesson being taught as a punishment was not to try and walk again in the area of the road that in 300 meters becomes the road down from Sara.The majority of the detainees are young, and are thus not allowed to cross through the permanent CPs, and for this reason has asked permission to cross on foot in order to get to work. They refuse to learn the lesson, and said “we’ll quickly try to cut across on foot again – what else can we do? We need to work to live, this is our homeland and so this is our route and our land. Why shouldn’t we go here? ”We are also apparently people who haven’t yet learned the lesson. We tried to expedite the detainee’s release, and after many phone calls to all different people in the army and an argument between two senior officers, we finally got a pardon for the detainees, and they were released after two or three hours.In addition to the people on foot, two private cars were also in detained. In one of the cars, there was a sick young girl, and in the other there was a healthy young girl. D. helped to get the car with the sick girl released faster, whereas the car with the healthy girl waited for two hours. Meanwhile, a new blockade was set up in the junction where they conducted thorough and slow searches, and very soon there was once again a long line of cars waiting to cross the junction. The Israeli police showed up in order to give out tickets. What could be easier than to move from car to car and to make a lot of money? The jackpot is someone who hadn’t renewed his license (a fine of 750 shekel and a summons to the courthouse). But if there isn’t that, then also illegal wheels or a seatbelt that isn’t fastened, those are also good reasons to give fines. In this way, they are able to wreak economic havoc, the travelers lose a day’s work and the drivers must pay their ransom and may have to exit the road, a road on which there are not a lot of taxis, and the buses are unpredictable. The entire spectacle looks like a coordinated action between the army and the police. A taxi that had just been released from the stranglehold of the army at the CP was immediately pulled over by the police to get a citation.Jit junction was part of Zone C (please correct me if I’m wrong), and the question is whether the Israeli police is able to impose Israeli traffic laws on the Palestinians in the territories, and what happens in Zone B? Palestinian Authority driver’s licenses are written in both Hebrew and Arabic. The police issue citations that circumvent the traffic ordinances of Judea and Samaria, and summons are issued to military courts in Judea and Samaria. This issue has been raised multiple times in our reports, but we still do not have a clear and complete answer.Huwwara CP – traffic restrictions from last week are still in effect. Nablus residents between the ages of 16-30 are forbidden to cross. Taxis and buses from Nablus towards the CP are forbidden to cross. Segregation for residents of Tulkarm Jenin. There isn’t, therefore, very many people at the CP, and the soldiers are standing around talking quietly, though they don’t allow a man aged 29.5 to cross through to go visit his mother who is hospitalized in Ramallah.Za’atara junction – in the morning at 8am and also when we were back at 11.30am, long lines of tens of cars in the southern direction. Few buses are able to cross after an inspection of all the passengers, and there is no crossing for residents of Nablus. Segregation of citizens of Tulkarm Jenin.