Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 17.4.08, Morning
Translation: Ruth F.
All the checkpoints were empty. Was it the efficient work of the soldiers or something else?
The soldiers and commander came to speak with us and took an interest in what we do, even if their merely meant to "know their enemy" and we could see that the soldier speaking to us was against our activity. Perhaps it was again because of the presence of a young and pretty woman? We of course tried taking advantage of the situation as well as possible. Did we manage to give the soldier something to think about? Perhaps, we can't be sure.
They are building a new checkpoint at Huwwara.
6:35- No police was present at Sa'ar Ha'Somron.
6:50- Marda was open and the entrance to Zeita was still closed by cement blocks that have a gate on them.
7:00- Za'tara-
Three cars were waiting from the west and five to four cars were standing from Nablus. The passage was quick. A buss left the parking lot just as we arrived and after that no cars were sent to the parking lot.
There were reserve soldiers from the air force and the commanders of the regiment. The deputy of the regiment commander came to talk to us. He said they were conducting random inspections, trying not to hold people up longer then needed. We had a long conversation with him about the importance of the checkpoints and politics.
For instance, he said that a couple of days before a man in a car from Ramala approached the CP and then headed back quickly. He had no doubt that he was a terrorist. It didn't occur to him that he could have just been a car thief!
7:20- We left. There were 12 cars from Huwwara.
7:35- Huwwara
About 40 people were waiting in line and only one post was open. I saw 4-5 soldiers sitting on the fence at the vehicle exit from Nablus.
After 10 minutes a soldier that was returning from the toilets arrived and opened another checking post. Couldn't they put a different soldier instead of closing the post?
It took 20 minutes in average to pass.
The DCO and checkpoint commander also had a long chat with us. The checkpoint commander thought that 20 minutes was good enough! They have nothing to complain about.
From the eastern side there were machines working on the land. The DCO said they were building a new checkpoint that will cost 5 million Shekels!!!
8:30- Awarta-
There were 2 cars at the entrance and 2 other cars at the exit. The passage was quick. Two lanes were open even though there were only three soldier present and a DCO representative (who was apparently replacing the missing soldier).
8:45- Beit Furik-
We saw smoke from the road coming from the entrance to Beit Fuirk.
No vehicles were waiting! The coffee stand owner said that they found a body of a 15 year old boy from Beit Furik on the road from Hamra.
On the day before he was heading from a day of work at Hamra, but he never got home. The family found him. A military car arrived at the spot and took the body for examinations in Israel. In the meanwhile things started to get messy in the village. The army hadn't yet noticed it and still hasn't arrived.
The checkpoint soldiers had on idea about this incident. The checkpoint commander asked us politely not to pass the white line, but there was really not much activity in the checkpoint. A soldier came and asked that we tell him about the organization. During the conversation with him we got the impression that he was merely trying to "get to know his enemy", but the conversation was to the point and perhaps we even gave him some food for though.
Two Israelis who are activists in Salem got permission to enter Nablus console a grieving family. Apparently this was the first time in five years they had been active, that stones were thrown at them on the Apartheid road. Perhaps that had something to do with the activity in Beit Furik? When we left we put two flags on our car. Would this protect us from the stones?
9:30- Back at Huwwara-
M. and his daughter L., a two year only child with cancer, were heading for treatments at Tel Ha'Shomer hospital.
He had some things in his bag that were meant for his friends that came from Gaza, who have a much harder time. He could get home in between treatments, but they must stay for months at the hospital since they have no reasonable way of getting home for a short while.
When we were heading back Za'tara was empty on all directions.