Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), יום ב' 12.5.08, בוקר

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Observers: 
Tsviah S., Rachel A. (reporting)
May-12-2008
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Morning

Translation:  Suzanne O.


Huwwara

6:45 a.m. 

There are not many vehicles in the car park.  The roadblock works quietly.  Routine.  No one actually asks us for help.  Many of those crossing greet us.  One of the officers takes the opportunity of having a quiet and open conversation with us during which he agrees on various subjects and in addition says that the army uses the DCO and MachsomWatch for the same purpose, as organisations it can employ for propaganda purposes in certain places, where the army needs to be portrayed as humane and sensitive to the rights of the population under occupation.

A bus leaves Nablus: its passengers are taken off, their documents are given up for inspection and they wait while the dog and the dog handler search the bus.  The dog also searches other vehicles.


Beit Furiq

8:30 a.m.

There is not a lot of traffic at the roadblock, neither pedestrian nor vehicular.  We have a cup of coffee with the drivers at the cafe and hear about daily life in the village.  The ‘sap of the garbage' says a driver.  A village of 12,000 souls where the occupation and the roadblock, like an efficient tool, disrupt its life and soldiers enter nightly to carry out searches and arrests.


Za'atra

9:30 a.m. 

On our arrival this morning there was no queue of cars and the car park was empty.  On our way back the queue is long and in the car park we once again witness a bus, emptied of its passengers, inspected by the dog handler.  A furious passenger comes over to us and in a loud and angry voice tells us the well known fact that this is the second time in a matter of a few kilometres that they are forced to undergo inspection and wait for such a long time.  (Huwwara first and then here.)  The soldier/officer standing near us hears and makes out that it is not his business:  I am here, not there.  How do I know?  I ask him if there are two armies; if he really does not know.  And if he does not know then what kind of army is it that doesn't know what goes on a metre away.  Two men, in civilian clothes, smelling like the Shabak stood looking on, grinning.  When the Palestinians moved away, they said: "They are terrorists.  They should be killed".  It was clear that they were deadly serious.