Beit Iba, Jit, Sun 22.2.09, Afternoon
Summary
2500 years ago, the Greek historian, Herodotus, wrote that "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." This adage comes from his history of the war between the Greeks and Persians about 500 B.C. in reference to the Persian mounted postal couriers whom he observed and held in high esteem. MachsomWatchers show little of that courage, other than battling the elements in the wintry OPT today, elements that Palestinians need to battle too - not to mention the perpetual presence of the Occupier.
Jit Junction
The signposts in this part of the OPT are more and more disfigured each week. This week, at Jit Junction, "Netanya" is crossed out and "To Israel," written in Hebrew, with a blue marker. At the entrance to Shavei Shomron, this same marker has been at work, but the rain is too heavy for us to make out what is written!
14:00 Beit Iba
Note: on Saturdays, as of last week, Palestinian Israeli cars are allowed to enter the city of Nablus, but never on Sunday, or any other day of the week.
We have noted before that this checkpoint was rebuilt just a year ago, presumably at great cost, either to the U.S. or Israeli taxpayer (or both). We are astounded today to see that the swiftly flowing, muddy, beclouded stream running through the area where the yellow taxis park, runs through the checkpoint too. To such an extent, that one of the lanes, the lane used to enter Nablus from Deir Sharaf, is impassable, and the waters are murky and deep throughout the checkpoint. Many soldiers stand around, oblivious to all of this. "It's raining, right?" says the representative of the DCL. Two lone army sandbags have been placed in way of the deepest part of the torrent, and the young women step over them gracefully, their arms laden with books, as usual. The turnstile lanes and the fast lane are crowded with students, and one turnstile serves both to enter as well as exit Nablus. Checking is reasonably quick, although there are at least 30 young men in line when we first arrive. As usual, the women are checked against the "little list," carried by the checking soldier, and their bags often examined or fondled.
By far the worst scene at the checkpoint, however, is the sight of a mangy, stray dog, of which the young women are petrified. (Dogs, as we know, are considered unclean in Islam). We escort some young women past the dog (the dog is actually scared of them), and we're amazed that the soldiers standing around do absolutely nothing. But the lone soldier supposedly checking the women, begins to wave them on, digressing from checking IDs and bag fondling, while shooing the dog away. Finally, it is left to him to deal with the dog more firmly. He grabs it by its neck and leads it to the central checking post, opens the heavy door and leads it inside.... No more is heard of dog. Life proceeds as normal under Occupation, as the "river" runs through the checkpoint. The young people continue to take it all in stride.
Conditions on the non apartheid road, after the junction with Shavei Shomron, leading to Deir Sharaf and Beit Iba beyond, are now terrible. Deeper than ever ruts, filled with water, often unseen until it's too late. A scrunching noise, and we wonder what's amiss with the car: a hub cap is yanked off by the "inconvenience" of Occupation.