יום ג' 17.7.07, בוקר

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Tags: 
Observers: 
Yael P., Rachel A. (reporting)
Jul-17-2007
|
Morning

Translation: Suzanne O.

We expected some ‘action' today - settlers had pledged a huge foray into Chomesh. On the news this morning it was reported that because of the readiness of the army they were postponing the event. In spite of this, apparently this was a cause for unnecessary tension. On the Ariel road west (towards Israel) - just after the crossing to the border - there is a temporary roadblock on the road. Hundreds of cars (belonging to settlers) are held up. This is indeed a rare sight. In contrast Tapuach Junction is quiet. There are no cars held up in either direction. Posters are stuck up on the concrete blocks calling for an incursion into Chomesh today, Tuesday.

Huwwara

8:20 a.m

As soon as we arrive it becomes obvious that the crossing is blocked in all directions. The soldiers explain to us that there is an ‘explosive device procedure'. There is a suspect car. They point it out: a blue Fiat is parked by the checkpoint at the exit from Nablus. All the Palestinians are moved away. Us too. The soldiers also move away from the centre of the roadblock.

9:00 a.m.

The wait continues. The number of Palestinians rises from moment to moment. Hundreds of people are waiting already. The soldiers tell us: they are waiting for the robot. We try to explain this to the people who crowd around us. It appears that no one believes it. They say "Dahwin" (show off). There is nothing. We, however, think that the soldiers really think that they have found something and they really don't want anyone to get hurt. But no one is convinced by what we say. Everyone who speaks to us - and all the Hebrew speakers take the opportunity to pass the time in heart to heart talks with us commenting philosophically on the general situation - they don't trust the soldiers. They are sure it is some kind of exercise to abuse them.

9:20 a.m.

The crowds grow ever larger. The old, the disabled, women with children in their arms; everyone stands around in the burning sun.

We try to speak to A., the roadblock and to Z., the DCO officer who has arrived. They reply to us politely: they are doing their utmost. We wonder about the efficiency of the I.D.F. Does it really take such a long time for the robot to come???

9:30 a.m.

The robot arrives. Someone (we did not see who) moves the suspect car away a bit, away from the junction. Suddenly the crossing is open. (First of all the question must be asked - why did they not do that earlier???)

There is a mad rush of the young to the turnstile and the rest of the crowd jostles after them. Between the fences leading to the turnstile there is a terrible crush. Hundreds of people run towards the cars, wanting to cross. The soldiers restrain them and order them to get into a queue for the turnstile.

The situation is now such: to get the hundreds, possibly over a thousand, people waiting through the turnstile could take many hours. In the crush, the tension and the heat, the elderly, women and children, the sick; it looks like madness to us. No one is inspecting all these people anyway, so what for? Why shouldn't they all cross via the road and have done with it?

We try to speak to the commander. He insists, "If we allow it we will lose control". We shout, trying to influence him again. The DCO person says to us: let me talk to him.

After a few minutes they announce that the elderly and women with children can cross via the road. Afterwards anyone, men and youngsters, start to cross too. Within about ten minutes the great crowd has crossed. Meanwhile a ‘controlled explosion' is heard from the direction of the suspect car. There was nothing there. Two older, frightened businessmen who were in the car explain to us that it is a hire car and that they tried to convince everyone that there was nothing in it, and they don't understand what it was that raised the soldiers' suspicions anyway. They too are released finally but they are sent back to Nablus. They have no exit permit with a car.

We remain quite stunned and upset by the whole event. Is it possible that all this was only a matter of obtuseness and even stupidity? Was there really no intention to show something to somebody? What is this small-minded syndrome? Even if the commander was convinced that he had to put the ‘explosive procedure' into force - what stopped him from allowing the crowds through by the road after the event? Did he not understand the potential of the anger, bitterness and humiliation that was created there? In the tension created could there not easily have been a violent incident which could have ended in disaster?

On the way back, at Jit Junction, military and police roadblocks await the settlers who might reach Chomesh. However, happily, we don't see any sign of them. They will surely turn up when the army is not ready for them.