Beit Furik, Huwwara, Jaba (Lil), Za'tara (Tapuah), Sat 21.6.08, Morning

Place:

Beit Furik

Za'tara (Tapuah)

Huwwara

Jaba (Lil)

Tags:

Violence

Detainees

Flying Checkpoints

Observers:

Diana (guest) & Hanna B. (reporting)

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Jun-21-2008

Morning

Translation: Ruth F.

Summery:
A shift of six and a half hours in the unbearable heat, and the usual routine of the ever lasting occupation which never ceases to surprise and horrify.

Za'tara:
As soon as we parked our car, took our thing and locked the doors, the checkpoint commander came to us, he was a reserve soldier "with out a face". He has sun glasses on, the kind that security people have on and through which you can't see the "person". "Who are you?", we showed him our badge and said "We are from Machsom Watch". " Go away- it's dangerous here and I am responsible for your safety". "This is our shift, we came to document what we will see, we didn't speak with anyone, we didn't bother anyone, and we don't understand why you are trying to get rid of us". "Because I said so". "But we haven't been in the army for 62 years, and by what right are you sending us off from a public place?", "This isn't a public place", "Really? And who are all these people standing in the parking lot- aren't they a public?", You only want to cause trouble", "It's too bad that this is your approach, lets put a stop to this conversation and each of us will go on doing what he has to". And so it was.
There were 28 cars from the north. When we arrived at 6:45 they were making preparations for the changing of the shift and their breakfast. The reserve soldiers were in no rush. A phone call to the Humanitarian Center made things go much faster. The average passing time was of 12 minutes. A police officer in blue uniforms was busy with a physical inspection of a Palestinian. Every peace of paper was taken out of his pocket, even his wallet was examined. Three other people were sitting in the car from which he came out of. The process took time and we couldn't understand what was going on. We got nervous- the situation seemed alarming. There the police officer and the Palestinian had a conversation- it seemed most unpleasant and at the end of it the man hands and legs were handcuffed, then they put him in the police car and he was taken away. We didn't manage to get the phone number of the family to inform them. There were more detainees sitting on the side walk, they were released and their IDs given back to them. One ID was missing- we "took risk" and walked over to one of them and persuaded them not to leave until the ID was found- we were glade to find out that we were write.
We were about to leave when we saw an ambulance and many bicycle rides on the western side of the junction. We were worried since someone was heart and so we went over to see what had happened. It was a bicycle tour for peace and brotherhood that started that morning heading out of Qalqilia to Jerico. The bicycle riders were happy to talk to us- their Hebrew was excellent- they were interested in knowing who we were and what we were doing. They paid us many complements and words of encouragement- as did we. And then the soldiers arrived to put a stop to the joy. "Go over there", "why?" , " your not allowed to stand here", "really? By who's order?", "My commander's", " Maybe I should try calling your commander and ask him about this order", "You are writing about military secrets in your note book", "What Military secrets? Which secrets?, the ones that all those passing here can see? do you hear what you are saying? Military secrets in a public place? Why don't you enter our site and see what kind of military secrets we publish there", "You are scum- everyone know about you", "I demand that you step away from me. I will not have a conversation with you with such a language, and I'm really not going to listen to it coming from a boy that might as well as my great grandson. I wonder what your parents must think about the way you talk- or your wife and kids". And then another reserve soldier barged into the conversation- He was a tall and scary man, and we decided that we couldn't write what he said. We left.

Huwwara:
There were plenty of people on their way to Nablus, and few passing south. The pace was rather quick and people said it was a good day. A' the checkpoint commander ignored us throughout the whole shift, we didn't exchange a word. By the "humanitarian spot" sat a young man in the shade, in front of him was the Israeli cab that he drove. From time to time he went over to the checkpoint commander and pleaded to him. We decided to intervene and ask what was going on. I appeared that he had been collecting workers at the taxi station at Beit Furik and took them to work using the Madison road. He had been detain for four hours. The workers had been released after three ("it's allowed" said the DCO). We tried explaining to him what his "crime" was. The man was stunned. After all there is no sign, how could I have known? We called the DCO and he was immediately released. When the DCO representative arrived we explained to him what was allowed and what was forbidden - he said he would look in to it as he was new.

Beit Furik:
It was terribly hot and there was no one at the checkpoint. Why? did everyone pass? Where were all the cab drivers? What was going on? The only driver that was there said that it was a quiet day. We wanted to go to the village and see what was going on there, but on our way we saw a BP vehicle and decided to head back. The checkpoint was still empty. There were two or three cars coming from Nablus, and no one was heading into the city.

Huwwara:
Nothing new, everything was very quiet. Our guest was shocked from the sigh. "This is how these people live?" she asked. "It's horrible, such humiliation". What could I replay?

Huwwara village:
We decided to head back to Jerusalem. But when we arrived at Huwwara village almost in fromntof "our" grocer, we saw two military jeeps and a vehicle of the blue police. The vehicles surrounded a privet black car and seven BP soldiers together with three cops, delt with a young man who seemed to be in his early twenties. People gathered around- but were in a safe distance- they were the owners of the shops and people who were just passing by. We stopped to see what was going on. When we arrived it seemed they were pushing the detainee, but when they saw us they stopped with the physical violence. We obviously didn't get any explanation, but it appeared that the man was accused of driving a stolen car. It is important to point out that the car didn't have any license plats.
We asked ourselves why it was handled by the blue police and the IDF if it was all happening in Palestine- but there is no satisfying replay to that. We managed to find out who the person was and to report to his family. That's also something. Our guest was amazed- this wasn't how she pictured life there.

The entrance to Ma'alee Levona:
We thought we might head home without anything else getting in our way. We were wrong. At the entrance to the road leading to Ma'alee Levona was a long line of cars. A "flying" checkpoint that wasn't about to take off. We stopped to see what was going on. We stood from a distance and parked far away from the road.
A soldier immediately came to us and tried sending us away. We wondered whether it was the incredible heat or was it a conspiracy among the soldiers. We of course refused and kept observing at what was going in.
The inspection was very severe and the line was long.
At last they said to us that the "settlers were running amok". "Today? We didn't see any settlers- it's Saturday today- if the settlers are running amok why are you stopping the Palestinians?
Does that make any sense to you?". We called the DCO and that apparently helped. After a long and hot half an hour the checkpoint had dissolved and this time we really did head home.

The line at Leel was especially long. We didn't take our time there, but informed to the Humanitarian Center. We didn't stay to look at Atarot- we'll do it next week.

We returned home tired, frustrated but most of al angry.

Location Description

Jaba (Lil)

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In fact, the Jaba checkpoint is east of the Qalandiya checkpoint. Its declared purpose is the prevention of Israeli citizens from entering Area A.
A road checkpoint for vehicles, located on Road 65, borders the southern fence of Kfar Jaba, about three kilometers east of the Qalandiya checkpoint, on the road leading to the settlement of Adam on Road 60.
Archaeological excavations within the village found the remains of a cloth house from the First Temple period. The events that led to the construction of the checkpoint are precisely here: on the day of the abduction of Gilad Shalit and before the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, a 17-year-old man from one of the settlements was abducted by a Palestinian cell.
His body was found several days later at the entrances to Ramallah. A military investigation revealed that his abductors had taken him along this route. The checkpoint was set up to prevent future kidnappings and to warn settlers from traveling to Ramallah and entering Area A (which is forbidden for Israelis).
The checkpoint that operates around the clock. Usually only vehicles traveling in the direction of Ramallah are inspected.
(November 2016): Every morning, when the settlers en masse travel to Jerusalem on Route 60 and every afternoon they return from Jerusalem on Route 60, the army initiates a traffic jam at the entrance to the Jaba checkpoint and stops the movement of Palestinians traveling toward Route 60.
(February 2020): In the last two years the checkpoint has not always been manned. Sometimes the soldiers come and just stand, sometimes they come and stop and check those who enter the village, sometimes they patrol the alleys of the village, sometimes they fire stun grenades and gas and sometimes they invade houses and stop young people, say those passing through the Hazma checkpoint.
(Updated February 2020)

Checkpoint Beit Furik

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One of the three internal checkpoints that closed on the city of Nablus - Beit Furik to the east, Hawara to the south, Beit Iba to the west.
The checkpoint is located at the junction of Roads 557 (an apartheid road that was forbidden for Palestinians), leading to the Itamar and Alon Morea settlements and Road 5487. The checkpoint was established in 2001 for pedestrians and vehicles; The opening hours were short and the transition was slow and very problematic.

Allegedly, the checkpoint is intended to monitor the movement to and from Nablus of the residents of Beit Furik and Beit Dajan, being the only opening outside their villages.
Since May 2009 the checkpoint is open 24 hours a day, the military presence is limited, vehicles can pass through it without inspections, except for random inspections. (Updated April 2010)

Za'tara (Tapuah) Checkpoint

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Za'atara is an internal checkpoint in the heart of the West Bank, at the intersection of Road 60 and Road 505 (Trans-Samaria), east of the Tapuach settlement.
This checkpoint is the "border" marked by the IDF between the north and south of the West Bank, in accordance with the policy of separation between the two parts of the West Bank that has been in place since December 2005.

At the Za'atara checkpoint, there are separate routes for Israelis and Palestinians. In the route for Israelis, there are no inspections and the route for Palestinians inspects. The queue lengthens and shortens suits.

The checkpoint is open 24 hours a day. The checkpoint is partially staffed and the people who pass through it are checked at random.

Sep-28-2023

Shoshi Anbar

Za'atra (Tapuah Intersection). Signs

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Huwwara - the checkpoint and the township

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The Huwwara checkpoint is an internal checkpoint south of the city of Nablus, at the intersection of Roads 60 and 5077 (between the settlements of Bracha and Itamar). This checkpoint was one of the four permanent checkpoints info-icon that closed on Nablus (Beit Furik and Awarta checkpoints to the east and the Beit Iba checkpoint to the west). It was a pedestrian-only barrier. As MachsomWatch volunteers, we watched therre since 2001 two shifts a day - morning and noon, the thousands of Palestinians leaving Nablus and waiting for hours in queues to reach anywhere else in the West Bank, from the other side of the checkpoint the destination could only be reached by public transport.
In early June 2009, as part of the easing of Palestinian traffic in the West Bank, the checkpoint was opened to vehicular traffic. The passage today is free, but there is still a military presence in the guard tower and vehicle inspections are done from time to time.

On February 26, 2023, about 400 settlers attacked the town's residents for 5 hours and set fire to property, such as houses and cars. Disturbances occurred in response to a shooting of two Jewish residents of Har Bracha by a Palestinian Terrorist. The soldiers stationed in the town did not prevent the arson and rescued Palestinian families from their homes only after they were set on fire. No one was punished and Finance Minister Smotrich stated that "the State of Israel should wipe out Hawara." Left and center organizations organized solidarity demonstrations and support actions for the residents of Hawara.

Hawara continued to be in the headlines in all the months that followed: more pogroms by the settlers, attacks by Palestinians and a massive presence of the army in the town. It amounted to a de facto curfew of commerce and life in the center of the city. On October 5, 2023, MK Zvi established a Sukkah in the center of Hawara and hundreds of settlers backed the army blocked the main road and held prayers in the heart of the town all night and the next day. On Saturday, October 7, 23 The "Swords of Iron" war began with an attack by Hamas on settlements surrounding Gaza in the face of a poor presence of the IDF. Much criticism has been made of the withdrawal of military forces from the area surrounding Gaza and their placement in the West Bank, and in the Hawara and Samaria region in particular, as a shield for the settlers who were taking over and rioting.

On November 12, 2023, the first section of the Hawara bypass road intended for Israeli traffic only was opened. In this way, the settlers can bypass the road that goes through the center of Hawara, which is the main artery for traffic from the Nablus area to Ramallah and the south of the West Bank. For the construction of the road, the Civil Administration info-icon expropriated 406 dunams of private land belonging to Palestinians from the nearby villages. The settlers are not satisfied with this at the moment, and demand to also travel through Hawara itself in order to demonstrate presence and control.

(updated November 2023)

Feb-29-2024

Nina Seba

Huwara checkpoint - the gate is closed

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