Afternoon

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Jan-4-2004
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Tulkarm and Jubara checkpoints Sunday PM, 4 Jan 2004.MachsomWatchers: Ronnie K., Dalit M., Ada H., joined by Adi D., Judith V., Selma M. (Qalqiliya checkpoint team - canceled). Students are now on a 2 week vacation. Tents have been set up on both sides of the gate, as a rain cover. On the way to Tulkarm, police checking licenses and status of vehicles. 14:00, Tulkarm checkpoint: A long line of trucks in front of the gate. One driver said he was waiting since 09:00 AM.We asked the soldier at Gate 700, why the line was not moving and were told that thorough checking is being done, and closureinfo-icon in force. A few minutes after reaching the soldiers they started to advance the loaded trucks. Only few pedestrians crossed. ( The soldiers say: Soon all the Palestinians will understand they can not cross and will stop coming to the barrier altogether.) There are two detaineesinfo-icon at the margin of the cement groove. The new red signs prevent us from crossing to the other side of the gate so we have no way of talking to them. The soldiers speak to us respectfully but do not allow access. Half an hour later, the line of vehicles advances and we could change nothing for the 2 detainees, so we drove to Jubara. One person at the roadside cafe said that for several days now, police cars stand along the road checking the cars and giving out 250 NIS fines for every little irregularity. Explaining they were on the way to fix them because no facility being available in Jubara, does not help and they have to pay the fine! Jubara checkpoint:Near the barrier, as always, detainees. One of them works in Taibe at a garage, has the appropriate papers, nevertheless, his ID card and tasrikh [passage permit] have been taken away by the soldiers. We tried to find out what happened to his documents. Most of the soldiers we have asked said they were taken from him on the previous watch and they did not know where they were.A young soldier came along in a jeep, checked, found the man's documents and released him. The three others, detained since 14:00, were only released at 17:00 by Dennis, the watch commander. That was what he decided and that was what he did. No efforts to release them sooner were of any use. A boy of about 14, is trying to cross to Jubara. He is prevented despite his insisting that he lives there. The soldier declares there is no such family in Jubara, he knows all the names. The boy stood and stood and in the end went back to Tulkarm. The Tulkarm direction of the Jubara checkpoint has about 40 people waiting. Some of them for more than 2 hours. Only one soldier standing behind the concrete barrier, his rifle aimed at them. We request that additional soldiers be added. Another soldier comes on duty, stressed out, shouting at the Palestinians, "Go back, go back!" and to MachsomWatch's Adi: "I do here whatever I want." He checks each one slowly, one every 10 minutes. Again we asked and another soldier is added. By 17:00, all those waiting have passed. Near the soldiers tent on the road sit two detainees, one with his hands bound behind his back since 15:30. Phone calls to everyone possible do not help, most do not even answer. Each soldier told another story about why the man was handcuffed. A call to Kamil, on leave today, informs us that he was caught trying to cross into Israel by another unit. They are waiting for the Security people to come for him. Adi is upset and refuses to leave until they are released. To everyone's joy, Captain Ro'i arrives, takes off the handcuffs and releases the detainees to go home. Why need all this have waited until 18.00?