Beit Iba, Mon 17.3.08, Afternoon

Beit Iba.  15.00   In  the parking lot opposite the carpentry shop of the Hawash brothers is a truck offloading strawberries from Kalansua. The taxi rank is full. At the checkpoint the ordinary lines are short while the humanitarian line is full and crowded. Two soldiers check the IDs of those entering against a list of numbers. One of the soldiers tries to push the people backwards. The DCO representative helps and soon the line shortens. Above the window of the checking area is a flag saying "All honour to the soldiers of the army" which the women in blue and white bring together with written instructions how to behave towards the women of Machsomwatch.The line of cars is short but a few trucks have to wait at the side. Soldiers check the permits as they have to contain the words Beit Iba in the permit if they are to pass. At the entrance to Nablus a Palestinian who says that he works at the block factory next to the checkpoint in Beit Iba says that he cannot get a permit for his truck to take blocks from the factory to Nablus through Beit Iba and he has to go through Awarta. "They don't want us here, We have been here since 1989 and they say it is not ours" he says as he goes on foot into Nablus.

15.30 The dogtrainer checks each truck very carefully. Elisheva  brings the delay which is caused as a result to the attention of the commander who says that there are enough soldiers to guard the dogtrainer outside the line.  

16.00 Reinforcements arrive and one is sent to protect her .