Beit Iba, Tue 25.3.08, Afternoon

 16.15 Beit Iba.  When we arrive there is a group of captains from the DCO, including the commander who receives us with a polite smile and who is prepared to speak to us. They say that a boy was found in the morning with two pipe devices but say that this is not the reason why they are here.  They say that they have come to observe. We discuss the motivation of these boys and the importance of the checkpoint.  Our visitor, a Jewish artist who speaks Hebrew, takes photographs and listens.

A further surprise is the presence of reservists here. The atmosphere is comfortable even though the checking is as careful as with the regular soldiers and the attention given is to the point. Not hostile, not suspicious and no tension.

The commander was prepared to speak and to listen. We told him that the young commander of
the checkpoint had insisted on sending back an old woman laden with heavy basket to the front of the line because she had tried to get through without standing there even though we tried to explain to him how difficult this would be for her (think of your mother).  The reservists said that that is the difference…the knowledge that comes with maturity and which is lacking in the young soldiers. The regular soldier knows a different world where obedience to orders is a defense against fear.  Again the dog checks cars. Today there was permission for the quarry vehicles to travel to Nablus: there were  5 trucks. When we ask if there is alleviation allowing the quarry which has the most pressure to take out more trucks when other quarries takes out less, we were told that this was not so. Each quarry can only take out 5 trucks.