Afternoon

Since Taibeh is going to be a new checkpost for the Tel Aviv watchers, I'll try to convey impressions of this site and the atmosphere around, and then go into the specifics.The checkpost is just beyond the Israeli township of Taibeh. It is at an intersection - Tulkarm to the north, and to the east a road to the West Bank settlements (used almost exclusively by settlers.) The checkpoint has the usual car block and pedestrian lanes, and a watch tower. The area was manned by reservists, 2 for pedestrians, 2 for cars, 3 at the north end of the checkpost. Here there is a barrier where drivers coming from the north pass before they are checked further south. To the east is a large area that was cleared to serve as a back-to-back lorry-goods center. Trucks from West Bank going to Israel or Tul Karem unload their goods to other waiting trucks. For pedestrians there is a kind of "rickshaw" service: a three wheeled cart that services mostly women, who carry stuff they bought in Israel. The drivers go back and forth, and are known to the soldiers.Ours was apparently an atypically quiet day, very little traffic, because the West Bank was under closure. Moreover a military operation was going on that very afternoon in Tulkarm. The soldiers were friendly and communicative. When we introduced ourselves, they seemed to understand what we were there for, and some took our Letter to a Soldier. We felt free to move about, but also to stay very close to them.Most pedestrians were peasant women in traditional dresses carrying loads on their heads, also some men and children. In answer to our question, the soldier said that in the morning the women walk behind across the little hill, because they have no permits. In the evening, "we let them pass through the checkpost, what can we do? They have to get back home". A blond Circassian soldier, smiling and pleasant said they do 12 days reserve duty. A settler car passes, and enquires why we don't defend his rights, another warns us "Be careful, they will shoot you". We asked the soldiers about the single detainee we saw. Apparently, he is a driver with a lorry who came last night with false papers, so they are checking. D. goes up to the driver, and speaks to him in Arabic. He says he came from Jiftlik with a cargo of medicines for Tulkarm hospital, was detained, allowed to sleep at a friend's house in Tulkarm and is now waiting. Lieuteant Gutman who is in charge says he cannot go through with his truck, but must do the back-to-back operation, which he allows only because it is medicines. We watch as the detainee is released and takes his now-empty lorry to Nablus, so he says. A few Red Cross vans come by, also an ambulance goes through from the West Bank to Tulkarm. Some of us walk north to where taxis wait for pedestrians and hear how terrible the economic situation is, they are practically starving, barely earn 300 shekel a month. We talk to a friendly BP in a jeep, who tells us that there is another checkpost further north at the entrance to Tul Karem, but warns us not to approach as there is shooting going on just then.To sum up, unlike Qalandya where there are heart wrenching and distressing scenes, Taibe was fairly decent with friendly soldiers. However, ours was apparently a very untypical session: hardly any crossings, no waiting or detainees. Future Watchers in Taibe will have to discover for themselves and let us know.