'Azzun 'Atma, Tue 17.3.09, Afternoon

12:20

The new checkpoint with the tower and provisional cement blocks. 3 policemen man the place and another jeep with officers arrives together with another army car. The gate is closed and cars and people and children passing through have to show a permit and an ID which shows that they are residents of Azzun Atma. We tried to find out if we could get to the southern gate which encloses the village. We were told that for that we had to ask for special permission from the army and that the police were only there until the soldiers came. The police were aware of our complaints about the transfer of move in sufficient quantities to the residents living across the road/checkpoint and said that "we are only not allowed to let through commercial quantities of goods...because maybe the tomatoes in boxes are poisoned..." There were hardly any people going through the checkpoint.