Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Sat 13.6.09, Afternoon

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Observers: 
A Visitor, Aya K., Vivi Z. (reporting)
Jun-13-2009
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Afternoon
Seriously? Does this make us safer?

Natanya translating.

14:00-17:00
At Za'tara in the direction of Nablus is a long line of over 100 cars, small cars and vans, trucks. Some of the people in the middle of the line say that they have been there for over an hour and a half. The checking is very slow and aimed at slowing down the passage. One soldier wanted to drive us away saying that the area was a closed army area.  Somehow the line began to move more quickly while we were there. In the parking lot 3 cars and passengers are being checked, the IDs in the hands of the soldier.
 
Huwwara. 20 men in each turnstile most of them men and men under the age of 20. Today they do not have to raise their shirts, their parcels are checked by the soldier or the x-ray machin. From the air conditioned booth the soldier, Alexi and a woman soldier next to him shout and scold to each one who arrives. Alexi stops the checking because we are too close for his liking and this discussing blackmail succeeds and we withdraw.
In the parking lot we have an exciting meeting with Nawad, the usher of the taxis. He is the brother of Muhammed Awad who was badly hurt at the checkpoint of Huwwara on 14.2.2009. After 4 months there is little change in his medical condition and there is bad brain damage and his family are next to him the whole time.
Naim who had also been at the checkpoint at the time of the attack was worried that he would be arrested as revenge and from the absurdities to which we are accustomed the one who takes revenge is he who abused.  And therefore at one time he was arrested as being wanted and sat at Huwwara and Salem where his punishment was lengthened and after a month with the payment of much money was freed. He is sure that this was planned from the very day that his brother was nearly killed. Yesh Din is in contact with Muhammed and the family and they need much medical and judicial help.
The abuse of the peddlers continues. It is impossible even to begin to understand this abuse by soldiers with orders from on high of the two youths who sell coffee and who work all hours of the day and the year so as to make provision for the poor family and  yet manage to distinguish themselves at school and to dream of a future of university education.
Today the bigger Mansur was beaten, put into the jorra for an our and afterwards went home to hide. The younger brother fled with the cart and came back to sell. It is not for nothing that they took the older brother as he is 16 and has an ID.
Another trader in the parking lot preferred not to speak as he was sure that the soldiers would take vengeance on them afterwards.
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