'Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 23.3.09, Afternoon

Natanya translating.

General. Enlistment day.

13.45 Shomron crossing.
Manned also from the eastern side. The colours of the signs are very strong and very definite. Bright orange, glowing yellow and dark black.

13.52 Zeita-Jamaim is closed as always.

14.01 Za'tara. From the west are no cars and from Nablus 4.
 
14.06 The village of Huwwara.
Near to the exit of the village in the direction of Nablus are border police checking IDs of people at the side of the road.

14.15 Huwwar checkpoint.
The x-ray machine is working. The representative of the DCO, A. is present at the pedestrian passage. Most of the time there are two checking posts for cars leaving the town, usually about 10 which take 10 minutes from the time that the car arrives and leaves...only of course if there is apermit. We saw one car returned to Nablus. At the pedestrian area the line shrinks and widenes from 10 - 40 people. There is also a humanitarian line.
The routine of the checkpoint allows one to understand the finer points of the lack of humanity and the subordination of the Palestinians as they arrive at the checkpoint. They stand before the turnstiles, while they are there the men are already taking out their IDs, loosening their belts, standing quietly. They go to the x-ray machine and pass it if it does not squeak, give their IDs to the unknown inside the armoured box,. That is they slip it through so that there should be no bodily contact. This is checked and sent to the lowest area and so bending their bodies to take it the Palestinians get their identity back.
While we stood close to the checking area of the cars we saw  that in the temporary area (which used to be the humanitarian?)  and the sentry tower stands an army jeep. It seemed it did not have identifying plates.
Until 15.30 there was a "pilgrimage" of young Palestinian men escorted by soldiers to this jeep.
In the pedestrian area someone who seemed to be the commander (a second lieutenant with an antenna) asked "How old are you?" in Hebrew. Many of them wore battledresses in khaki (Palestinian security men?  And sent them to wait in the detention area of in the booth meant for women until they were called to the jeep. Sometimes two waited there at one time. When we saw the first detainee and before we saw the procedure repeated we asked the DCO representative about the first man. He said he was "bingo. Bingo, Bingo and after a few minutes he was freed and so on until about 15.30. The quota of the day had been filled.
15.40 We left.

15.45 Awarta. No cars.

15.50 Beit Furik.
Random checking of IDs of the passengers of cars.  At the checkpoint the soldiers held the ID of a young man but 5 minutes later it was returned to him and he went on to Beit Furik. We left.

16.07 Za'tara.
From Nablus 4 cars and from the west none. And the settlers prepare to march back to Gush Katif.