Beit Iba, Mon 29.10.07, Afternoon

Beit Iba

15:30 – The line of cars coming from the west goes through without any special delay.  Pressure at the turnstile.  A soldier checks the "humanitarian" line too, and brings about order with considerable rudeness.  Two women – mother and grandmother – with a baby and 2 children, who had tried to bypass the line, were sent to the end of the line rudely.  An attempt to speak with the checkpoint commander was not successful, we didn't insist.

The owner of a garage in Qalqilya turned to us – he had gone into Nablus in the morning to buy a body part for a car.  Even though, at first glance, the body part did look like a weapon, he was allowed to leave.  But he realized that the part was faulty and he asked to return to Nablus.  This time he was not allowed.  We tried to help him, but failed.

The pressure at the turnstiles grew worse, as did the hostile behavior of the soldier.  From time to time, he simply stopped the passage of those waiting.  We found the officer from the DCO, Tomer, who sent this soldier away and, within a few minutes, he had let through all the women and children.  The officer doing inspection of those entering Nablus, also was very strict about order, so a line was formed which doesn't usually happen here.

We were asked by a resident of Sebastia to find out for him to whom he was supposed to turn:  He lives in an isolated house about a kilometer from the village, and there is a gravel road to his house.  A year and a half ago, they closed this road but, with the intervention of the checkpoint commander (?), it was re-opened.  Two weeks ago, probably because of the settlers returning to Homesh, it was closed again.  It is now open only to pedestrians and no car can go in or out.  We have his name and contact information.  We could only promise to try…