Beit Iba
Beit Iba Saturday 1/1/05Present Tami P. Dalia R., Einav K, guest Karin L. , a studend from Ecolede Paris who write her master dissertation on Checkpoints.12:30 Arriving from Taibe on our way to Jubara a army Jeep was blocking theway not allowing anyone in, Upon our request he presented the GeneralWarrant in which is said the area was off limits.So off we went around and around and drove back to Kfar Saba and enteredthe territories from Kalkiliya it was wide open and straight to Beit Iba.13:30 The place was hectic and tense as 2 Arab Israeli families were trying toenter Nablus for the funeral of their father.Two women from Um el Fahm were shouting and crying. They had been waitingthere for three hours and were not allowed in. Our arrival plus the numerousphone calls we made all around (including PM Ran Cohen who also called ALUFHAPPEKID office to try and help, half an hour later we called the officeagain and they said nobody approached them), helped to calmdown the situation. The DCO officer was most helpful. According to himand the soldiers the only one to give permits is the General himself sincethis was an emergency (imagine!)At 14:15 we finally got him on the phone and they entered the city after thankingus for our help.Our conclusion is that there is no procedure how to deal insuch humanitarian cases. It is most unlikely that each similar request needsthe General's approval.Another event with an Israeli Arab: two brothers who took their mentally illmother to Nablus. The mother, who was an Israeli resident for many years,doesn't have Israeli ID since here dispute with her husband. The DCOrepresentative took good care of the situation and reached a settlementwhere the mother will enter Nablus in a cab accompanied by a female memberof the family. The soldiers went "hunting' for cab drivers who, naturally,ran away when they saw them. Finally they came with one who kept shoutingthat he is a good boy (in Hebrew). The officer calmed him and explained themission. It worked out fine.Otherwise the passage was fine. When we arrived there were no detainees
.By the time we left there were 15 of them including taxi drivers that werebrought in by soldiers.The soldiers informed us that they know nothing of new orders for peoplewho are working for the coming elections.