Beit Iba, Wed 21.1.09, Afternoon

 A story with variations, and a conclusion.

15:40  Beit Iba

No vehicles entering.  Empty.  Four vehicles at the exit from Nablus.

Students coming through the checkpoint on foot tell us that classes begin next week, the semester opens.  The shed is almost empty.  Only a few people.  About 10 people on the humanitarian line, but the line advances at a reasonable pace.  Men's ID cards are checked; women's - sometimes.

No detainees.

16:05  We intend to leave, but a youth stops us, and signals us to go over to his father who's standing on the road to Kochin, next to a truck.

Here begins the story having multiple versions.

The Palestinian's version:  He's already been waiting for two hours.  A soldier took his ID card when he left Nablus, and said he'd return it when he came back to Nablus.  He continued to Emanuel, where he unloaded his truck (tables from a carpentry shop in Nablus), and behold, when he comes back they don't want to return his ID card to him.  They make him and his truck wait by the side of the road, with no explanation.  He doesn't know whom to turn to.
We ask him whether he has an entry permit to Nablus, and he says that he does.  Even shows it to us.

Before we listen to the soldiers' version, we contact the humanitarian office, who know - on the basis of the ID number we give them - who's the person involved, his first and last name.  The office was told that he "broke through the checkpoint."  We then phone the DCO.  They tell us they're aware of the case, and that Zaharani is on his way to us.

16:20  Zaharani arrives in a white jeep.  Greets us, and immediately drives over to the soldiers to try and find out what's going on.  He comes back and calms us:  "The matter is being handled, you can go home.  The man will be released immediately."  We're "calmed," but wait to see if that really happens.  Of course, nothing happens, he's not released.  Tami goes over to the soldiers, and talks to the commander.  I wait with the Palestinian, and listen to what he tells about himself:  he has 6 children, he's the sole earner.  His time is valuable, and so is gas.  Coming this way saves both.

The commander's version:

The man has only been waiting half an hour, not two hours.  When he left Nablus we took his ID and told him to turn around and go back to Nablus, and then we'd give him his ID back.  Instead of doing what he was told, he continued toward Emanuel.

Now, when he comes back, he wants us to give back his ID and let him re-enter Nablus.  He didn't follow our instructions, so he'll wait!  When we asked why he wasn't allowed to leave Nablus for Emmanuel with his ID, since he has a permit.  The answer was that his permit doesn't include permission to transfer merchandise.  He knows that, and als knows that he should have gone back to Nablus and left via Awarta (the checkpoint for goods).  But he tried to put something over on us, so he'll be punished.  We're allowed to detain someone for three hours, and that's what we'll do, so he'll learn.

Tami listens to him, decides he's telling the truth.  But she appeals to him anyway:  Things are so hard as it is, why make them more difficult?  If he lied, he did so because of his distress and his need to make a living, you can understand that and try to make it easier on him.

Tami feels that this may be the first time he's been exposed to such an approach.  He hasn't any empathy for people who don't abide by the "rules."  But he listened.  Finally, he said:  "I'll release him in half-an-hour."  In other words, two hours of detention, instead of three.  Not a minor accomplishment...

Tami comes back to us and tells us about the agreement they reached.  I suggest he wait in the truck, not outside in the cold, and leave him our phone number.  We say that if he isn't released as we were promised - he should call us.

17:10  We leave.

Half an hour later the man calls to thank us and tell us he's been released.

Our conclusion:

The commander would have released him at some point without our intervention, maybe even when he did, before the three hours had elapsed, but for the man to feel that someone cares, and someone is on his side and tries to help, is important and encouraging.  Instead of waiting who-knows-how-long, feeling helpless and alone on a neglected side road, there are Israelis standing with him, joining him, trying to help.  He did, after all, call when he was released as promised, just to thank us.

And something else.  When Zaharani arrived, a number of Palestinians who stood not far away came over and said:  He only came because you called him.  Yes, they know about us, respect our efforts, and our presence is, in fact, important.

Final conclusion:  You have to hear both sides before coming to someone's assistance.  Not because -God forbid - he's not worthy of help, but in order not to look like fools, and so that those we approach will see that we're reliable.