Beit Iba, Anabta

BEIT IBA, ANABTA , Monday 29 November 2004 AMObservers: Roni S., Rachel A., Ruhama S., Susan L. (reporting)Guest: Leah A. colour=red>08:00 Beit Iba A bitterly cold morning. The checkpoint was staffed by reservists old enough to have served in Lebanon. There was an easy atmosphere and the soldiers all made a point of trying to make themselves understood to the Palestinians. A student arrived with an out-of-date student ID card. O, the representative of the District Coordinating Office (DCO) [the army section that handles civilian matters; it generally has representatives at the checkpoints ostensibly to alleviate the lot of the Palestinians], took it from him and said he would check; he told the young man to return in a couple of hours. Less lucky was a young woman who arrived with two young men who, she told me, were her brothers who'd come from Jordan. She was eventually allowed through , but O. was quite firm about the young men: without permits they could not be allowed into Nablus. 08:15 — It wasn't busy now, but earlier 60-70 trucks had passed through. There was the usual number of university students,hoping against hope that they'd be let through today, although they knew the arrangement: they may leave Nablus on Wednesdays and return there on Saturdays. The officer told them: "You know the rule. I can't let you through, and I won't. I'm sorry, but it's forbidden." Since it was not so busy, the soldiers took time out to talk frankly to usabout the pressure they face when there are something like 600 people needing to be checked, and so on. Some said that many reservists, once they're back in civilian life, intended to talk openly about life at the checkpoints. 09: 35 Anabta At the barricade, a jeep appeared out of the blue: the soldiers who got out of it searched a taxi to which olive oil had been transferred. A smallgirl's cries pierced the air as she was taken to the other side ofthe barricade. The soldiers tried to find out what our sons think of our work. Their minds were made up. We were not for them. 09:55 — We returned to Jubara [see separate report under the Tulkarm area]. Jubara).