Since 2001 we have observed dozens of army checkpoints on paved and unpaved roads in the West Bank, the Jordan Valley and along the Separation Fence; Civil Administration offices which grant permits to Palestinians; and military courts trying Palestinian prisoners. We stand at the checkpoints observing the behavior of soldiers and Palestinians without interfering, intervening only when soldiers behave offensively to Palestinians. Then we try to speak to the soldiers themselves or telephone...
Al-Ezariya, Container (Wadi Nar), Mon 2.7.12, Afternoon
02/07/2012 ,Afternoon
Julia W., Chana G., Rahel W. (reporting)
Al-Ezariya
El Azariya
Things were very quiet in Azariya.
Wadi Nar
When we arrived at Wadi Nar, traffic (which was heavier than usual) was proceeding without difficulty, but we noticed that a car with yellow plates was detained at the checkpoint. The front hood, the trunk and all the doors were open and the vehicle was being very carefully inspected. At the same time, there was a change of guard and there was an unusually large number of troops around. Several came over to the vehicle and at first, we thought that the whole thing might have been a training exercise into how to check out a suspect vehicle.
At the same time, several soldiers were standing at the rear of the small detention booth at the checkpoint. About a half hour later, an Israeli police car pulled up and a young man, in handcuffs, was led from the booth to the police vehicle. We do not know why that particular car was stopped --- at first we thought it was because it had Israeli plates, but other cars with Israeli plates did go through without being stopped—or whether they found contraband objects, or whether there was a look out for that particular person.
In any case, during this whole time, all other vehicles in both directions continued without delay, and without inspection.
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