Beit Iba, Jit Junction

Beit Iba, Jit Junction, Sunday 10.06.07, pm Observers: Alix W., Susan L. (reporting)Guest: Jennie S.SummaryThe media have been full, this past week, about what happened 40 Years Ago -- The Six-Day War: a myriad articles could be found, bearing titles such as, "Myths & Facts," or, articles imbued with the idea that the Israeli David defeated the Arab Goliath, which was "the myth of the 1967 Middle East war." That's all very well, we can say, but what is a myth in every day life, and what myths do we encounter on our shifts in the OPT? The classic definition is that myths are defined as tales believed as true, and those we heard, in full, from the soldiers today. Examples will be found in the report, but suffice to say that myths depict a value-laden discourse to make sense of the world, to confirm a way of establishing important values, explaining much about human nature. A contemporary connotation sees myth as "a falsehood," in direct opposition to observation or data, i.e. science. MachsomWatch documents the reality it sees, depends on cumulative, frequently updated knowledge, and carries out "science," whereas myths (those of the IDF soldiers observed today) are based on passed down stories and beliefs.13:40 On the way from QalqiliyaAlready last week, we saw concrete boulders which had been replaced across the roadway at the entry/exit points to Azzun. This time, soldiers also present (back to the scenes of a year ago when Azzun was completely closed off)? 13:55 Jit JunctionNot a vehicle in sight. Just two soldiers, marking the beginnings of the checkpoint (see two hours later). 14:20 Deir SharafAt the mini market, we hear from one of the many back-to-back drivers, now parked at the junction with the closed Route 60, that frequently there are problems with soldiers at Beit Iba with permits and IDs. (We're told that soon all the Awarta closed back-to-backs will be re routed to the back-to-back facility at Tulkarm). 15:00 Beit IbaThe checkpoint is emptier than usual, but the weather is hotter, by far, than usual, probably 40 degrees! The commander, a sergeant, immediately tells us not to stand over the white line. There's none to be seen, but he also has no idea where it was! Nevertheless the memory of same, and so the myth carries on…. The pedestrian checking area is made cheerful by the colorful, kindergarten-like art work of the "women in blue and white" who thank "our soldiers" for the wonderful work they do. There's little checking, but bags are still examined going out of Nablus, just a few pedestrians, none of whom are checked into Nablus: they are waved on by a tired and bored looking soldier. On the other hand, a Palestinian Israeli, from Bak'aa (bearing a blue ID), hoping to visit his sick grandmother, is prevented from entering the city by the Arabic speaking military policeman and turns back without a murmur. 15:25 -- by now, not one person going through the turnstiles from Nablus: a most unusual sight. But the heat is also most unusual. Four taxi drivers on the other side of the checkpoint wait, in vain, for fares. On the other hand, plenty of women, with plenty of children going into Nablus, but minus a male figure. Makes one wonder where all the men are…. Little vehicular traffic in either direction. The summer netting has been placed over the checking area, protecting the soldier, with his pointed rifle, from the searing heat. One bus, one taxi, one tractor, desultory checking.16:00 Return to Jit Junction A phone call tells us of the horrendous wait now at the junction, empty two hours earlier. There are about 65 vehicles in line – taxis, private cars, a Palestinian government car, a car with remains of wedding finery wound around its tires, etc. Obviously, the line extends far up the hill, round the bend from the Sarra roadway. Having counted, we return to the junction, stopping the car at the wide part of the road. There is now a Hummer parked on the Beit Iba side of the junction, a blue police jeep, facing the oncoming Palestinian traffic, waiting to be checked at the concrete checking booth, a soldier with gun pointed on the side of the roadway, behind concrete boulder, and probably six to eight soldiers, only one lane, of course, opened for checking. A soldier immediately tells us that the car can't be parked where it is, can't be parked at the Jit side of the junction either, although, already on arrival, we note settlers standing there with a broken down car, plus two other vehicles with Israeli plates, standing there.We turn around again, stopping the car by the Sarra junction, talk to waiting Palestinians who say that although the day before it was fine, frequently such hold ups again occur at Jit (at the start of the year, this checkpoint was closed – with much fanfare). A fluent English speaker laments: "This is no life, but this, we know, is occupation." Here, there's no hope that this occupation will ever stop. The blue police jeep now moves from its position in front of the patiently waiting Palestinians and confronts us. One policeman inside the jeep, its engine, and so the air conditioning running continuously, says not a word the whole time, but the other gets out, and a torrent of words flow from him. "I don't care what the soldiers said to you," (although it's obvious that the two arms of the occupation are clearly working together) "You've crossed a white line." We're told we can't park where we are, we can't park anywhere, and had we wanted to round we should have gone back to the junction and made a U-turn (and then another excuse would have been found to ticket us). Moreover, he didn't see the Israeli vehicles parked on the other side of the junction, we "should have told" him about them (a first sign of fascism when one citizen informs on another). By now, a Palestinian driver, also "wanted" by the police for some misdemeanor, has parked behind us. A Red Cross jeep stops to see if there's a problem for him, then moves on. And so do we, ticket and fine in hand. 16:30 -- in the time that the police jeep has dealt with us, the line of vehicles waiting has miraculously disappeared: there are now seven or eight vehicles which are quickly checked, as many soldiers loitering, one even lighting up a cigarette. Things change when the soldiers get to the car in front of us. A private, white Mercedes with a youngish driver is thoroughly searched, all doors opened, the trunk methodically examined, seats poked, the engine peered into, etc. The soldiers work in desultory fashion, just making sure that we have to wait. They don't have to deal with us. They already have – no doubt to their satisfaction. Today, we're subject to the kind of harassment and humiliation that our Palestinian brothers and sisters endure every day, day in, day out (see Anabta, A-Ras, Jubara report of today's date).