'Anabta, Beit Iba, Qalqiliya, Tue 28.4.09, Afternoon
Figs Passage and Schoolchildren's
checkpoint
15:40 – After checking our identity,
the soldiers open the gate for us. At the Schoolchildren's checkpoint
the traffic is extremely thin. A poor Palestinian on his way back home
has been targeted by the four soldiers at the checkpoint. His passage
permit has expired. He says that many times he leaves for an eye check
with this permit. After a telephone enquiry, a check of his bag and
innumerable questions, he is told to go stand aside while they discuss
his case. It turns out they have received an instruction over the phone
to let him pass, so the man is released and told he has to renew his
permit.
Anabta checkpoint
16:15 – When we get here, there are
20 cars in line. As we come close to the point of inspection, we see
that every car is stopped and checked with great care. All the bags
in the trunks of the minibuses are checked and very soon there is a
long line of tens of cars. We turn to the soldiers and suggest that
they open another lane, but they remain silent, simply dumb. We call
the Humanitarian Center, where they promise to take care of it. As we
leave and are no longer in sight, we see that the line has started to
move and the cars, including the minibuses, pass without inspection.
The soldiers probably punish the Palestinians for the fact that MachsomWatch
women come to watch them.
Beit Iba, the Barrels checkpoint
16:50 – There isn't much traffic and
the cars pass quickly.
Qalqiliya
17:25 – Cars pass without inspection.