Huwwara, Thu 4.10.07, Afternoon

Translation: Tal H.

19:30pm - 01:40am

At 19:30, A. – member of a well-known respectable merchants' family from Nablus – arrived at Huwwara checkpoint with his pregnant wife and baby daughter. He presented his vehicle-entry permit to the soldier but was not allowed in because – as the soldier put it – he was a half hour late. He explained to the soldiers that he had been kept waiting at the Tapuach Zaatara Junction CP for a long time and that is why he didn't make it by 19:00.
Even his permit to enter Israel did not convince the checkpoint commander – "this is not valid here", he ruled. With A., another 4 cars arrived, and their passengers, too, were prevented entry on the same pretext. No explanations helped, and not one of them was permitted to enter. We have been monitoring Huwwara Checkpoint for over five years now, and for the first time we are learning that even the fortunate fewest of the few who are privileged to have permits to enter Nablus with their cars, must arrive at the checkpoint by seven p.m. (perhaps this is part of the implementation of the promises made by Olmert to Abu Mazen to show the Palesitnians some more humanitarian consideration).
The two truck drivers amongst the people waiting argued with the soldiers who responded by lashing out with their rifle butts and chased them off to the nearby taxi part,. When the people called the DCO for help, the checkpoint commander said "you can call the DCO all you want, you will not pass". When told that a pregnant woman and a baby are sitting in the car, he said: "Let them die as far as I'm concerned. What do I care…"
The three of us made dozens of phone calls all three of us made to the army hotline to explain plead and change the verdict. Sheri and Gil'ad of the army hotline promised to look into it and take care of the situation, and despite their efforts, they were constantly lied to. The soldiers at the checkpoint kept telling them that no one was waiting at the checkpoint. The night shift soldier at the DCO explained that he cannot send a DCO officer to the site because they finish their duty at 5-6 p.m. and can only make their recommendations to the brigade in charge, no more.
And surely soon everyone will pass, and actually there is no one waiting there and so there is no problem, and he knows A. who always raises hell (meaning he's a half hour late because of another checkpoint). We thought that A. himself might try to convince the DCO, but the latter only scolded him: "If you're half an hour late, you must wait until 2 a.m.", which later proved true. He said to Hanna: "We've got to teach them a lesson, or else they'll be doing this every day, and we've got our hands full as it is."
We have not met such crude, humiliating behavior of soldiers for a long time now. All the generals' and general aides' cell phones slept the sweet sleep of their owners.
At 25 minutes past midnight, Hannah woke up Dalia Bassa (health coordinator of the DCO) and asked for her help, and after Dalia was convinced of the facts, she joined the efforts for she realized the DCO whitewashes and the soldiers are lying and having a ball. Instead of a boring, eventless shift they chanced upon the opportunity to bully the weak and have some fun. Indeed A. kept reporting to us that every time the soldiers say on their communications sets "there's no one at the checkpoint" they crack up laughing and then tell the Palestinians that no order has been received to let them in.
At 1:10 a.m. A.'s wife decided to walk home with the baby, hoping some family member would pick them up on the other side of the checkpoint. A. did not dare leave his car in the checkpoint taxi park for fear that colonists would burn it at night or it would be stolen. Thus, too, the other three drivers who waited with him.
1:20 a.m. – We spoke to the DCO again. The soldier on night shift, Rabia, repeated that the soldiers deny anyone's presence at the checkpoint. This checkpoint is located exactly 3 minutes from the DCO at the nearby army base. We have been complaining for six and a half hours, dozens of phone calls, and it didn't once occur to him to send a DCO representative to put an end to the story.
1:40 a.m. – the order was given. Now abuse has to be extended just a little bit more: vehicle inspection. The truck driver had to pull apart the cabin, the soldiers rummaged in every compartment and under every car seat. Finally, each drive got his own personal wave-off to the sounds of "Fuck you, move already…"
The Eve of Simhat Torah (ending the Sukkoth holiday) one might add Enlightened Occupation and Purity of Arms.

Friday 5.10.07 evening – annex to previous report:
At 20:44 -a liver patient awaiting transplant called us, telling us he had to reach his Nablus hospital urgently in order to receive an injection. Because of his illness, he holds a humanitarian pass to enter Nablus in his own cab. Because the Beit Iba checkpoint near his residence is closed down at 8 p.m. he had to drive all the way to Huwwara CP, where the soldier told him that since he arrived after 7 p.m. he could not enter Nablus. "You'll spend the whole night here", the soldier said, and would not consider all the medical documents he was shown. The arsenal of orders and procedures does not require the soldiers to call their superiors to receive instructions in such cases. 7 p.m. and that's final.
M. called the DCO directly, and after half an hour, the order arrived to let him through.
Since Beit Iba and Beit Furik Checkpoints close at 8 p.m., and Huwwara Checkpoint closes at 7 p.m., one could say now that the closure on Nablus has actually turned into a siege for nearly half of every 24-hour time span.
A complaint will be filed with the army hotline.