Beit Iba, Jit, Qalqiliya, Shave Shomron, Sun 7.10.07, Afternoon
13:30 Qalqiliya
As we arrive at the checkpoint there are 17 vehicles waiting to enter Qalquilya and 1 vehicle on the other side coming out. The soldiers are working efficiently and the traffic moves rapidly, but there is always a line to go in.
Across from Jit we notice that the doors of the building where they process the olive oil is open, looks like they are preparing for the harvest, and just a bit farther before the junction we see women in the field picking the olives. Later when we speak to Jamal, he says they will be starting just after Ramadan, but that some have already started the harvest.
Jit Junction
No soldiers, no vehicles only concrete dividers at the intersection
14:20 Shavei Shomron
We checked out to see if there was anything new behind the wall, but the same, the lonely trees still standing, the wire fence is wired up with electricity as well as the top of the wall. And the barrier is closed at the top of the road to the road to Jenin.
14:40 Deir Sharaf
We stop to say hello to Jamal, it is very quiet, and his market looks more barren, less products on the shelves. Jamal says business is quiet; he seems to look forward to the olive harvest coming up after Ramadan.
15:00 Beit Iba
There is much commotion and noise at the entrance, the traffic is backed up to the Hawash Bros, there are trucks and taxis and a lot of honking, pedestrians are trying to make their way through the vehicles to safety.
As we arrive at the vehicle CP we see the soldiers checking the IDs of vehicles coming out of Nablus, the check is slow.
Approaching the CP we notice the new addition of cement filled floor from the new structure to the existing booth.
The crowd of people was terrific, and was like this the entire time we were there. There were at most times between 5 – 7 soldiers, but they were not working efficiently and not in a pleasant manner, they were shouting and motioning with their hands in their belittling fashion.
As bad as we think it is today, a well dressed man comes up to us to tell us today is far better than yesterday (Shabbat) he said that in his opinion, Saturdays and Wednesdays are the worse days. He said that yesterday the soldiers were “arrogant, cruel and brutal”.
There are 5-7 soldiers at vehicle CP but they are working very slowly, a lot of chit chatting between themselves. Although the vehicle lines are down and there are few vehicles waiting.