'Anabta
21/10/2007 ,Morning
Orna P. Sara V.(reporting) Natanya translating.
The crossings of Ayal and Irtach, checkpoints A-Ras, Anabta
Summary: A strange Sunday not as usual. No pressure and the soldiers who are willing to speak to us also say it is strange. There is less and less dialogue with the soldiers….a blank wall.
Ayal. 7.00
Usually there are 100s of people at the gate. Angry employers wait outside or give up and leave. The atmosphere is angry, tense, frustrated and at boiling pitch. The passage opened at 4.00. Unusually 4 posts were manned and not one or two as usual. Most of the workers have already passed and the buses wait for the families of the prisoners going to Ketziyot. Did the phone calls of Orna and Naomi to the commander asking for special measures to be taken to allow them to pass help?
The soldiers refuse to allow us into the spot from where we are we can see the terminal saying that it is a closed army area and we have no right to enter. We protest and go in quickly, size up the situation and leave. The commander explains that we are not allowed in the area and tells us when the checkpoint will open. We are not sure that they can actually forbid us to enter.
Irtach 7.20
Almost empty and the families of the prisoners are getting into the buses.
A-Ras. The childrens' gate 7.40
The soldier tries to give us a dig…"Why do the women of blue and white bring us cakes and you not?"
A-Ras Checkpoint.
Hardly any movement on either side. No limitations. The commander says that he also thinks there is less traffic today but does not know why
Anabta 8.15 .
20 cars at the exit.
21/10/2007 ,Morning
Orna P. Sara V. s. (reporting) Natanya translating
Summary:
A strange Sunday not as usual. No pressure and the soldiers who are willing to speak to us also say it is strange. There is less and less dialogue with the soldiers….a blank wall.
Eyal -7.00
Usually there are 100s of people at the gate. Angry employers wait outside or give up and leave. The atmosphere is angry, tense, frustrated and at boiling pitch. The passage opened at 4.00. Unusually 4 posts were manned and not one or two as usual. Most of the workers have already passed and the buses wait for the families of the prisoners going to Ketziyot. Did the phone calls of Orna and Naomi to the commander asking for special measures to be taken to allow them to pass help?
The soldiers refuse to allow us into the spot from where we are we can see the terminal saying that it is a closed army area and we have no right to enter. We protest and go in quickly, size up the situation and leave. The commander explains that we are not allowed in the area and tells us when the checkpoint will open. We are not sure that they can actually forbid us to enter.
Irtach - 7.20
The checkpoint is almost empty and the families of the prisoners are getting into the buses.
The childrens' gate at A-Ras - 7.40
The soldier tries to give us a dig…"Why do the women of blue and white bring us cakes and you not?"
Checkpoint A-Ras.
Hardly any movement on either side. No limitations. The commander says that he also thinks there is less traffic today but does not know why.
8.15 Anabta.
20 cars at the exit.
21/10/2007 ,Afternoon
Alix W., Susan L. (reporting)
A-Ras, Anabta
Summary
"Who's in charge here?" is not the start, or the end, of a feeble
joke but a vivid description of the occupation. It's not only the
continuous humiliation and the endless harassment, but the offhand
manner – gun of course at the ready -- in which the occupier goes
about his business, often creating mayhem but making sure that
accountability is pinned on no one.
Jubara 12.50
Few vehicles going in or out of the checkpoint. Going up the road to
the village, two small, grubby children play with empty cans found on
the side of the road. The game is to place them in a line across the
road (they have learned well what a checkpoint consists of), then to
kick them all over the place, and start all over again. Not a bad way
of describing 40 years of occupation! We notice the distressingly
miserable faces: not a smile can be gotten out of the boy or the
little girl, whose bright, sad blue eyes are heartrending.
A-Ras 13:00
It's lunchtime, the soldiers are relaxed and eating, but at their
posts. There's no checking of the few vehicles that pass to or from
Tulkarm or to or from Jubarra. We decline the invitation to join them
with a cup of coffee!
Gate 753
Lunchtime here too, and to be noted, now in evidence at all
checkpoints we visit, the large red and white sign, in three
languages, indicating that behind it is "Palestine": (indeed, since
the "A" of Area A has been blocked out, in Arabic, English and Hebrew)
Anabta 13:15
This very same sign causes us "trouble" in Anabta. Here a blue
(Israeli) police truck is parked by the military lookout tower, and
two policemen are harassing (no other word for it) particularly
Israeli vehicles (Palestinian Israelis). We stand, as is our wont,
near the central checkpoint, near the lookout tower. The soldiers are
indifferent to our presence, in fact, more or less oblivious to
everything about them. They spend their time, eating, drinking or
chitchatting, often not bothering to man all three checkposts. No
need, the Israeli police is doing all the work, including telling us
that we're "annoying the soldiers." Neither they, nor we, have
exchanged a word! "Go back 50 meters," we're ordered by Abu Aslan
(name tags are mandatory for Israel Police). We wonder if the police
are now in charge of the checkpoint as an open truck, filled with
clean, woolly white sheep and pristine white lambs drives past?
While telling us off, a Palestinian car is waved aside by this same
policeman, and it's clear they don't want us to see what they're up
to.
13:30 -- the same policeman now tells us that he never said "50
meters," but "behind the red sign" (the one in three languages
posted, vertically on a huge concrete boulder by the entrance to the
checkpoint). As the line to Tulkarm grows, from zero to twelve, the
police continue to make us the agenda: "I know who you are, and the
law says…. I don't care about your lawyers and what they say. I will
arrest you." We decline the offer as the first policeman is joined by
his mate, who's been in the police van, probably checking vehicle
licenses against the computer, but we can't see what goes on behind
the lookout tower as we're (almost) 50 meters from it!
When there are no vehicles coming into Tulkarm, the policeman
switches sides (of the road) and interferes with the freedom of
movement of vehicles exiting Tulkarm. The soldiers continue to take
time out, as if having ceded all authority to the police. They drink,
chitchat and wave the waiting vehicles on in their own sweet time.
Sometimes when the soldiers beckon vehicles to advance to the center
of the checkpoint, the police flags them down. It's a mad, mad world,
no, correction, a mad, mad occupation.
13:45 -- the line on both sides grows and grows, up to 16 from
Tulkarm. Cars, usually Palestinian Israeli, but Palestinian too, are
stopped and searched, beneath the hood, in the trunk, but it's
completely random, sometimes on their way to Tulkarm, and sometimes
those leaving Tulkarm, while the yellow taxis just whiz by. On the
other hand, when the police search is over, the policeman gives his
fellow citizens a whacking great thump of camaraderie on the
shoulder…. not granted to Palestinians.
We leave, as it seems there will be no end to the kind of
occupation "games" at this checkpoint today. We're not expecting
genuine "war games" (see Beit Iba report).
18/10/2007 ,Morning
Nora H., Biriya L., Avital C. (reporting)Translation: Galia S.
Tulkarm checkpoints
Ar-Ras
The Schoolchildren Gate
07:20 – There is one detainee from Jenin who works in the village bakery. Seven minutes later he is released thanks to our intervention.
07:25 – At Ar-Ras, there is a line of 5-6 cars. It is relatively quiet.
Anabta
08:15 – A change of shifts is taking place. The traffic is fairly streaming. There are 2-3 cars at the checkpoint. According to the soldiers, the reason for checking the cars is aiming to prevent accidents on the highway.
18/10/2007 ,Morning
Nora H., Biria L., Avital C. (reporting) Trans. Judith Green
A-Ras, Children's gate
07:20 One detainee, from Jenin; works in a village bakery. 7 minutes and he is released, with our slight intervention.
A-Ras
07:25 – line of 5-6 cars. Relatively quiet.
Anabta
08:15 – Change of shifts. The traffic is moving. 2-3 cars. The soldiers say they are inspecting the cars to avoid road accidents along the highway.
17/10/2007 ,Afternoon
Tammi C, Daliah G. Translator: Orna B
14:50 Jubara
At the big check post - no queues. Few cars are going through without delays. At the children's gate there are no delays either, and no detainees.
15:00 A-ras
At the exit from Tulkarm - a queue of about 8 cars, but traffic is flowing. The inspection is limited to the driver's papers. At the checkpost overlooking the entire road block from above - an armed soldier . He tries to chase us away with "you are disturbing our work". In contrast the checkpoint commander - Sergeant Oren Cohen tells him to leave it be.... he greets us warmly. A pleasant conversation between him and Tammi on the origins of the different Cohen families.We said our goodbyes in a friendly manner.
15:30 Anabta
We stopped at the cabs' parking lot, from where they had tried to chase us away a few days ago, but where Tammi succeeded to avert this decree. A cab driver standing by his cab asks us - who is Tammi? Tammi identified herself. Next to him stood an Israeli cab driver. Both showered Tammi with thanks.
We carried on to the checkpoint itself. Flowing traffic in both directions. The entrance to Anabta (and Tulkarm) is not checked. At the exit - random inspections. Israeli Arabs are allowed in to Anabta , but Israeli Jews are not.The road block commander (a Colonel) checks on the cleanliness, A soldier sweeps up. Relaxed atmosphere. We leave for Beit Iba.
16/10/2007 ,Morning
Edna K., Shlomit S
Trans.: Judith Green
On the way to Beit Iba
6:30 – Shavey Shomron
The army is not allowing the Palestinians to pick olives. About 150 men, women and young people, and 7 donkey-carts loaded with bundles of empty sacks, descend (or more properly, are taken down) between the olive trees beside the road at the command of 3 armed soldiers (two officers and a regular conscript). They are among about ten families from Dir Sharaf who went out to harvest olives. To their misfortune, their trees border on the settlement of Shavey Shomron and the army camp nearby. According to the Lieutenant who spoke to us, they did not coordinate the beginning of their harvest well enough with the military, so they are going to have to inspect all of them, including all the rolled up empty sacks. Three Hammers have arrived with reinforcements of a Major and 3 well-armed soldiers. After they arranged them all in a line, the donkey carts at the end, and after they marked with a military shoe a line in the dust by the side of the road, the inspection started. The harvesters provided IDs, and the soldier allowed them to cross over so they could sit and wait until the inspection would be over and they could all together go off to harvest their trees. Zvika Asherman reported that the families had been allotted 3 days to harvest their olives. On the first day, there was no harvesting because the soldiers did not understand their instructions and stopped them from getting to their trees. And now, they have been delayed for at least 2 hours in the morning chill, meaning that they will have to work in the hottest part of the day. The Lieutenant made sure to wave in front of us a document testifying to the fact that we would not be able to accompany the harvesters, since this was a closed military zone. 4 young people from abroad who came to help had to go back where they came from. We saw them later returning to Nablus by way of the Beit Iba checkpoint.
9:30 – Junction of Shavey Shomron is quiet. No trace of this morning's cruelty.
08:00 – Beit Iba
Crowding at the entrance to Nablus. Two hard-hearted female soldiers are checking IDs against a list of numbers. A young man who complained to the soldier was asked to show her his ID, which was then taken from him and he was told to wait in detention. There were about 5 detainees. When the checkpoint commander arrived he immediately reviewed the reasons for their detention with the soldiers: this one "sneaked by", as did the second; they were on the "wanted list", and one had a blue ID which had to be checked especially well.
By 09:00, the pressure decreased. It seemed that the checkpoint commander was effective. When we returned from Anabta, around 10:00, there were no people waiting. 5 new people in detention, in addition to the owner of the blue ID, and one with handcuffs and a blindfold. According to the checkpoint commander, this was the instruction he had received. Two members of the World Council of Churches who were observing at the checkpoints claimed that torture was taking place here. At least his hands should not be bound. The checkpoint commander refused to speak with them.
09:15 – Anabta
Traffic is fowing, almost no pedestrians. The taxi drivers complain that they are not allowed to stand in the parking area near the junction. According to the soldiers, they can park there, but not next to the checkpoint. Then a Hammer arrives, with an officer of high rank, and he was the one who didn't let them park there. We asked the drivers to give us the number of the Hammer.
16/10/2007 ,Afternoon
Yael S., Amit Y. reporter
Tul Karem Roadblocks
Anabta: 15:50
As we arrive soldiers are changing guards, so the traffic is temporarily stopped. There are 15 cars waiting at the exit from Tul Karem. But the new shift quickly organizes itself, and they wave the cars through freely. Within a few minutes no cars are waiting. There are no special restrictions today, and the order is only to sample check the cars.
Jubara: 16:40
At the children’s gate soldiers assign numbers to those entering the village; when they leave, they are expected to report their number so that the soldiers can cross them off the list of visitors they have complied in their notebook. The soldiers complain of the old man who is no waiting to leave; he entered in the morning, and by now he doesn’t remember his number.
Aras: 16:50
Here also no special restrictions and only sample checkups. Traffic flows relatively easily today.
15/10/2007 ,Morning
Frances T., Roni Sh. (reporting)Translation: Galia S.
Tulkarm checkpoints
On our way from Beit Iba to Anabta on road 57 we saw Palestinian cars parked beside the road and people (not many) who were picking olives. We didn't stop.
Anabta
09:30
09:30
When we arrive, there are no lines both at the entrance and at the exit from Tulkarm. Cars that enter the city are not checked at all, including Israeli cars, and the check at the exit is extremely superficial.
Since last week we haven't been trying to take care of the issue of the expulsion of the taxi drivers from the place where they used to park in the last two years, disturbing nobody. We have also tried to find out who the coffee seller disturbed. The place is quite distant from the checkpoint, there is plenty of parking space and drivers with permits to enter Tulkarm and also to go to Qalqiliya and Ramallah used to come here regularly. Despite the expulsion order, one of the drivers parked his car there, but he said that as soon as he saw a military jeep approaching, he would take off immediately, thus losing his meager earning.
The checkpoint commander who approached us and asks if everything is all right answers our question concerning the expulsion of the drivers that the instruction has probably been given by the brigade commander to prevent blocking the junction. When we argue that the junction is far away, he just shrugs. As for olive picking, he says there shouldn't be any problem and, coordinating it with the checkpoint commander, picking should be possible also in the area between the checkpoint and Einav settlement which is on the hill overlooking the checkpoint. He says that these are the instructions he has gotten.
Since last week we haven't been trying to take care of the issue of the expulsion of the taxi drivers from the place where they used to park in the last two years, disturbing nobody. We have also tried to find out who the coffee seller disturbed. The place is quite distant from the checkpoint, there is plenty of parking space and drivers with permits to enter Tulkarm and also to go to Qalqiliya and Ramallah used to come here regularly. Despite the expulsion order, one of the drivers parked his car there, but he said that as soon as he saw a military jeep approaching, he would take off immediately, thus losing his meager earning.
The checkpoint commander who approached us and asks if everything is all right answers our question concerning the expulsion of the drivers that the instruction has probably been given by the brigade commander to prevent blocking the junction. When we argue that the junction is far away, he just shrugs. As for olive picking, he says there shouldn't be any problem and, coordinating it with the checkpoint commander, picking should be possible also in the area between the checkpoint and Einav settlement which is on the hill overlooking the checkpoint. He says that these are the instructions he has gotten.
09:50
– We have meant to leave this quiet and supposedly calm checkpoint when we suddenly see that the junction, 57/557, is totally blocked by cars from all directions as a result of a "rolling" [unannounced mobile] roadblock that has been erected right after the turn to Anabta going to Nablus. It's a sharp turn in an uphill going road, the sight is limited and it is extremely dangerous. Without warning, a junction can just be blocked…
My phone call to the IDF Humanitarian Center is answered with the words "We'll try to find out".
All of a sudden, an Israeli car arrives, storming forward and passing dangerously Palestinian cars, and parks between the two Hummer vehicles. Two "Blue and White" women [right wing activists] get out… The inspections stop because the soldiers have to enjoy the refreshments brought to them and in the meantime the jam at the junction is getting worse. Do you remember that the coffee seller has been expelled because he is causing a blockage at the junction?
Frances, who has not yet experienced an encounter with the Blue and White women, goes towards the soldiers, followed immediately by these women, of course. Since she speaks English with them, they are somewhat milder. Nevertheless, she is getting a long history lesson from them, while I am waiting in the car, trying to call Tami and the Center about the blockage at the junction.
My phone call to the IDF Humanitarian Center is answered with the words "We'll try to find out".
All of a sudden, an Israeli car arrives, storming forward and passing dangerously Palestinian cars, and parks between the two Hummer vehicles. Two "Blue and White" women [right wing activists] get out… The inspections stop because the soldiers have to enjoy the refreshments brought to them and in the meantime the jam at the junction is getting worse. Do you remember that the coffee seller has been expelled because he is causing a blockage at the junction?
Frances, who has not yet experienced an encounter with the Blue and White women, goes towards the soldiers, followed immediately by these women, of course. Since she speaks English with them, they are somewhat milder. Nevertheless, she is getting a long history lesson from them, while I am waiting in the car, trying to call Tami and the Center about the blockage at the junction.
10:30 – The rolling roadblock is still in effect when we leave.
Jubara checkpoint
10:45
10:45
The soldiers demand that we show them our ID cards and open the trunk of the car, although they can see, of course, who we are. At the Flowers Gate the soldiers ask why we didn't bring them cakes like you know who …
Ar-Ras
10:50
10:50
Entering from the direction of Qalqiliya is smooth without inspections. There is a line of 10-20 cars coming from the direction of Tulkarm. Documents are checked randomly. According to our check, it takes a bus 15 minutes of waiting at the checkpoint and then it left without inspection.
11:15 – We leave.
15/10/2007 ,Afternoon
Elisheva A, Yona A (reporter)Translator: Orna B
Ar-ras
13:40 All is very quiet. Hardly any vehicles are passing through. Two soldiers man the checkpoint on the road leading from Tulkarm. A soldier is sitting in the observation tower. The soldier resting under the net informs us that Blue and White women are nearby and introduces us to his adopted dog Ganja.
Anabta
14:30 The shed at the side of the road at the Anabta junction, where they used to sell drinks and fruit, has disappeared. According to the cab drivers one day the soldiers came and gave the instruction to remove the shed. The cab drivers too are removed from the road side at the junction. The instruction was given before the holiday (Id el Fiter). Today there are 4 cabs standing there. When the soldiers arrive they tell them "Scram!" They leave and then return again. It is their livelihood. They ask for our help to try and change this decree.
At the checkpoint itself the checkpoint commander, a sergeant, approaches us and greets us politely. We asked him for the reason for the decree regarding the cab drivers and he answered that the instruction had been given not at the battalion level but at the brigade level.
Thin traffic in both directions and there are no delays.
