Beit Furik, Huwwara, Fri 8.8.08, Morning

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Observers: 
Orit D, Ofra T. and Michal V. (reporting)
Aug-8-2008
|
Morning
Seriously? Does this make us safer?

Translation: Ruth F.

9:00- Beit Furik
When we arrived we noticed a military Hammer by the checkpoint.
On the bench by the detention cell were three detaineesinfo-icon. Two of them were handcuffed. The one that didn't have any handcuffs on said he was a resident of eastern Jerusalem, he drove the two others with him in his car, one of them was from Anata and the other from Beit Furik, they didn't have a permit allowing them to drive on that road (the apartheid road destined for Jews alone). They were on their way to bring food for the family gathering after their mother's death a week ago, they didn't know they couldn't drive on that road.
When we asked the soldiers why they were arrested the commander (second lieutenant) said- "They were arrested because they are Palestinians". He later said they had broken the law. He also said that they had called the blue police about twenty minutes before we arrived.


We decided to go to Huwwara and return later to see whether the police arrived.

9:25- Huwwara
The officer (second lieutenant) said that we must only speak to him. According to him his soldiers don't know how to talk and occasionally they "don't speak so nicely". He also reminded us not to pass the blue line. He complained that some Watch women walk to the detention cell, and speak to the Palestinians. We told him that it was part of our job and that is just what we must do. 

His reply was that a month before hand someone tried to pass some explosives through the checkpoint and that when we talk to the Palestinians that are passing, and especially when we talk to detainees, we distract the soldiers attention and disturb them while they are doing their job. We answered that the soldiers shouldn't be looking at us at all. He repeated his demand that we don't pass the blue line. We reminded him that they don't restrict "Women in Blue".

On the other side of the fence a taxi was being inspected. The passengers of the taxi, an elder man of 70 with two children, an elder woman and a younger on, stood in the sun for half an hour while the cab was inspected and only then were they allowed to return to it.


10:00 Beit Furik
We came back to Beit Furik. The soldiers said that the policemen did come and that they had released the detainees.

 

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