Beit Iba, Qalqiliya, Tue 17.6.08, Afternoon
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Observers:
Yael S., Zahava G. (reporting)
Jun-17-2008
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Afternoon
Translator: Judith G.
Beit Iba 16:10 – A lot of garbage has accumulated again on the way to the checkpoint. The checkpoint commander, a Lieutenant, doesn't even respond to our 'good morning'. During the entire shift, one and a half hours, he spoke one sentence to us: "Don't stand there please." Luckily, the DCO representative, Tomer, was cooperative. No detainees
and relatively light traffic – no studies at the University now. There are a few dozen people waiting at the exit from Nablus and going through the usual inspection. Also those entering Nablus, even fewer, go through a document check and have bags inspected. In the humanitarian line there are a few people. Despite our disappointment with the commander's behavior, we have to say in his favor that he allowed three elderly people, who made a mistake and went outside the barrier separating the humanitarian line from the road, to pass through and was satisfied with just a document check. We have already seen "nicer" commanders who ordered such elderly people to return and go to the end of the line. 16:30 – A military policewoman leaves her place in the booth, so for 8 minutes the whole line on the left stops and waits. When we ask why there is no one to take her place, they answer that someone would come right away. In the end, another woman soldier came, who had been standing outside the booth all the time, chatting with the commander. We couldn't restrain ourselves and expressed out anger at the contempt for the people waiting.
Beit Iba 16:10 – A lot of garbage has accumulated again on the way to the checkpoint. The checkpoint commander, a Lieutenant, doesn't even respond to our 'good morning'. During the entire shift, one and a half hours, he spoke one sentence to us: "Don't stand there please." Luckily, the DCO representative, Tomer, was cooperative. No detainees
and relatively light traffic – no studies at the University now. There are a few dozen people waiting at the exit from Nablus and going through the usual inspection. Also those entering Nablus, even fewer, go through a document check and have bags inspected. In the humanitarian line there are a few people. Despite our disappointment with the commander's behavior, we have to say in his favor that he allowed three elderly people, who made a mistake and went outside the barrier separating the humanitarian line from the road, to pass through and was satisfied with just a document check. We have already seen "nicer" commanders who ordered such elderly people to return and go to the end of the line. 16:30 – A military policewoman leaves her place in the booth, so for 8 minutes the whole line on the left stops and waits. When we ask why there is no one to take her place, they answer that someone would come right away. In the end, another woman soldier came, who had been standing outside the booth all the time, chatting with the commander. We couldn't restrain ourselves and expressed out anger at the contempt for the people waiting.
16:55 – An exercise: all the soldiers, male and female, leave the inspection points. All lights are turned off, and the traffic lights are red. All the people waiting in both directions are shoved back by the soldiers, beyond the sheds. Also all the vehicles are asked to wait far away, including an ambulance coming from Nablus with its lights blinking. Only we are ignored, we remain wandering around the inspection area. All the soldiers are busily supervising the crowd which keeps growing from both directions. The line of vehicles also gets longer.
17:12 – The exercise is finished. The ambulance already returned to Nablus and people start going through. A problem is created in the line of those entering Nablus. There is only one passageway and they are shoved and pushed. The soldiers refuse to check them until there is some order. Shouts, shoves, "Yala, Yala," and three women are standing next to the line with their children, including one sleeping on the shoulders of an older woman. We ask the commander to tell the woman soldier to call to the women for inspection. Naturally, he doesn't answer. We turn to the soldier and the commander throws us out. We appeal to the sense of politeness of the Palestinian line of people, and that works. They make space for the women and they get to the front of the line. The commander tells the woman soldiers to let the women through.
Qalqiliya 17:45 – about 6 vehicles in line, more than half of them are Israeli.