Beit Iba

Beit Iba 5.2 AMObservers: Yvonne V, Efrat S, Adina A (reporting)8.15 - heavy rain and freezing temperature. Only one young man in the detainees area and entry and exit from Nablus were almost empty. As soon as we arrived, a soldier, apparently the commander, showed us a marked line and told us we were forbidden to cross it and if we did, he would call the police to send us away. The spot he pointed to was at a distance from the checking position and was unsheltered. We tried a better position and then he came over and reprimanded us. The soldiers at the checkpoint were reservists in their thirties. He came over again and said that this demand was aimed at ensuring that they could work without interruption. The sole detainee was released within a few minutes and there were no others for some time (a new phenomenon for us). After a few minutes the commander came over again and asked if we knew that only two days ago an explosive belt was caught at Hawwara. He obviously wanted to explain himself, and he added that they were reservists, had come to do their job, prevent smuggling of explosives, and had no desire to make things difficult for Palestinians at the checkpoint. On the contrary. This was our impression as well. There were six to eight soldiers checking, which enabled them to be efficient and even courteous. The DCO officer was fluent in Arabic, businesslike and courteous. Pedestrian traffic to Nablus flowed fast. People were asked to open their ID cardsand show them as they passed through. At the exit from Nablus IDs were checked more scrupulously but there too the traffic flowed smoothly.As for detainees, we were surprised to discover that there was a way of releasing them within 10-20 minutes. As soon as their IDs were taken, the commander took them, read out the details by telephone and waited on the line. As soon as he received confirmation he returned the IDs and let the detainees through. Four young men were detained during our watch and released at once. There was no shouting and no shoving and the impression was that the soldiers were trying to be polite and serious and respectful towards the Palestinians insofar as possible. Another striking fact was that the soldiers did not wave their weapons about, aim upward or at the Palestinians. They even seemed to be trying to make the weapons inconspicuous.At 9.30 we felt that there was no reason to remain. The reservists were doing their job in different fashion to what we have witnessed in the past (neither violent nor crude nor arrogant). We left..