Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Sun 19.7.09, Afternoon
Translation: Tal H.
Tapuach Za'tara Junction Checkpoint 15:05
No detainees
, observation and sniper post at the far side – manned.
Two checking posts active for vehicles coming from Nablus – 20 cars lined up.
No checks nor soldiers attending cars in other directions.
Beit Furik Checkpoint 15:30
3 soldiers present. While we were there, no cars were checked – neither coming in nor going out. It was refreshing to see with our eyes that the yellow iron gate potentially barring the access road to Beit Furiq and Beit Dajan villages is gone, leaving no trace.
Huwwara Checkpoint 16:40
Two active vehicle checking posts, no sniffer-dog. While we were there, no cars were checked. A small truck, very obviously empty, still sent back to use the commercial crossing into Nablus at Awarta.
On our way back we saw no vehicles waiting at the Za'tara/Tapuach Junction Checkpoint.
Indeed – traffic flows quite freely – at least as long as we could see – and the city of Nablus seems to be having a breather, the market-month which the Palestinians had announced as an attempt to boost up the economy after nearly a decade of practical siege. And now the air and our mind resounds with the question that people don't bother to ask inside Israel – what the hell is the Israeli army still doing inside Palestinian life? For it is still there. Very much so.
A bit after 5 p.m. we drove back into Israel.