Beit Iba, Jit

Jit Junction, Beit Iba, Sunday 14.10.07 pmObservers: Aliya S., Alix W., Susan L. (reporting)Guests: Madeleine L., Mimi S., Larry G.Summary:Today's shift served as a disturbing reminder of the ubiquity ofman's inhumanity to man, and what Arendt called the "banality ofevil." Today was the last day of Eid el Fitr, the three day festivalcelebrating the end of Ramadan, a time for joyous celebrations withfamilies, a time of festivities and merriment, visits to the homes offriends and relatives with new clothes for everybody and gifts forthe children. And the occupying forces -- what knowledge or deferencedid they show for this, one of the two most important festivals inthe Muslim calendar? When, if ever, had they been taught thateverybody is of equal worth and deserves equal respect? When, ifever, had they encountered bigotry and prejudice in their own lives(forgetting, of course their own thousands of years old history)?Instead, the occupier seemed to savor the idea that families aredivided, and that family members are denied entry to join in thecelebrations. If only these revelations would make "countlessthousands mourn" (Robert Burns).14:10-14:45 On the way from Qalqiliya to Beit IbaJust before Fonduk village, a blue police jeep and a Hummer off theroadway and an army sharpshooter, gun pointing towards an olivegrove, off to the northern side of the road. Part of the ban againstpicking olives, except on days ordained by the occupier (that we hearabout later)?Just before Kedumim, on the southern side of the road, large banners,in Hebrew, have been painted, and attached to trees. We don't catchthe words but a group of settler youth, including young women, streamdown the hillside towards the roadway. Sure enough, on turning a bendin the road, we spy a "deserted" Palestinian house, now covered withbright blue plastic and next to it what looks like a tent on theside. Hill top youth takeover?14:30 Jit JunctionThe army has arrived and is about to create a checkpoint. Theparaphernalia of temporary checkpoints is carried by one soldier fromone place at the junction to another. Where can they cause the mosttrouble? Read on, one hour or so later….14:45 Beit IbaThe new multi-lane checkpoint's roadways and sidewalks have beendefined (no work going on today); the quarry is now fenced in, thedust as ever, although today, the last day of Eid el Fitr, it's notworking, nor are the Huwwash Carpentry brothers. The checkpoint isnot crowded with the usual passers by, but by families, all dressedup, the men often with white or pastel colored shirts, often withties, the women in their best robes, the young women in colorful newattire (and headscarves), the children in gorgeous, over the topoutfits, complete with cowboy style silver or gold riding boots!Sometimes, it happens that people are all dressed up and have nowhereto go: a car is turned back by the occupier at the checkpoint, andhas to turn round, back to Nablus. No dispensation for anybody who'sa Palestinian just because it's a holiday!In the detention compound of old, one well dressed young man whosigns to us that he's been there for three hours. Two and a halfhours is confirmed by the commander, E., who has no idea why he'sdetained: "that was by the shift before mine… I was told just towatch over him." We voice our assumption that he's beingchecked. "Checked?" says E. in disbelief, "What for?" We persist, andmake another assumption, also proven wrong by E., that the young manis being punished. "Of course not," says E., but I will hold himuntil 3:00." The banality of evil surely starts in a similar way….One of the soldiers at the checkpoint shouts at passers by, pokesinto their handbags, plastic bags full of presents, shouts at ustoo: "Surely we're afraid of a `tractor,' laden with explosives atthe checkpoint?" And if we ask the soldier questions, he has a rightto question us. It takes his commander to deescalate this loudmouthedsolider, so he again proceeds to shout at the Palestinians comingthrough the turnstiles.15:00 -- the commander is on the phone, we hear him asking ifthere's "authorization to release" the detainee. He does so, and theyoung man makes his belated way towards the city.15:30 -- on this last day of the three day festival, there are not somany people, going in or coming out of the city of Nablus, but wehear of two to three hour waits on the first two days of the Eidhere. Even today, the line is very slow. A warm greeting to and fromone of our local butchers from Jaffa, with his five beautifullydressed children, wife and an enormous present (looks like a surfboard, for which there might not be much use in Nablus). Of coursethe soldier insists on taking a peep, tearing the colorful wrappingpaper. A last glimpse at the good nature of the festive-minded andabominably treated passers by: two young boys with cartoon masks overtheir faces. "Halloween!" they call to us cheerfully, and they andtheir mother insist we take their photos.Olive picking and Deir SharafThe "city hall" of Deir Sharaf was issued an order, by the occupier,two days ago that olive picking on the southern side of Route 60,below the settlement of Shavei Shomron could take place only on 16,17 and 18 October. We wonder (not very deeply) where such an orderemanated from, since it's the settlement's new "security" road thatled to the uprooting of hundreds of Deir Sharaf's olive trees, nowfenced in and hard to access.16:00 Jit JunctionThere are 25 vehicles on the hill leading up to the junction on Route55. Four soldiers man the checkpoint only at this part of thejunction, so there is chaos, buses coming from the Qalqiliyadirection, vehicles coming from the southern side of Nablus, allconverging, and settler vehicles squeezing by. The situation is aidedand abetted by one of the four soldiers being extremely aggressiveand hostile. We see him hit a taxi driver who's been told, not onlyto open the trunk of his car, but to expose its underbelly. As thesoldier hits the taxi driver, he throws the carpet covering the sparetire back into the body of the car, meanwhile shouting at us, aswe're observing this scene, that we're holding up traffic! ThePalestinians are patient with each other, with us, but another taxidriver laments, "is this any way to spend a festival?" Indeed…