Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 20.5.09, Afternoon
Translator: Charles K.
14:17 Za'tara junction. 17 vehicles on line from Nablus.
14:30 Huwwara checkpoint:
Three inspection booths operating, and also the humanitarian lane. No detainees
.
The lines are longer than they've been recently here at Huwwara.
The boy selling water says that today Border Police soldiers took down all the stands.
16:55 Beit Furik checkpoint:
The canopy over the pedestrian passage has been removed.
One of the soldiers explains that it was taken down to create another vehicle lane.
Inspections are random today as well. The soldiers says that one of ten cars is inspected, or according to the driver's age. Those who appear young are stopped and checked.
Another soldier tells us that the gate at Beit Furik is open at night; they don't close it.
Only the checkpoint gate is closed at 22:00.
He also surprises us and says that people from Nablus can enter the villages with no problem: Beit Furik, Salem and Beit Dajan. Racheli had a spirited discussion with him; he listened and thanked here for the information and shook hands with the three of us.
15:33 Huwwara checkpoint.
We returned to Huwwara. A few cars on line leaving Nablus, and a very small number of pedestrians.
At 16:15 the soldiers demolished another stand.
17:10 Cross-Samaria checkpoint:
Very long lines leaving the territories. It took us 18 minutes to get through the checkpoint.
The soldiers stopped some of the vehicles and looked in them.