Beit Iba, Tue 8.7.08, Morning

07:50 A dog-handler and a DCO representative are on site.  The dog handler checks cars leaving Nablus, including having the dog climb into the vehicle's trunk.  That's apparently what is known, in the laundered language of occupation, as a "luggage check," according to what's written in white letters on the purple sign fixed to a pole.  It looks as if every car that leaves is checked, and its contents spread on the asphalt surface.  The handcarts that pass through the checkpoint also have their contents unloaded and spread out on the ground.  A cart full of jeans is unloaded onto the traffic divider between the two locations at which cars are checked.

 A., the DCO representative, sees no point in getting involved when women who want to enter Nablus are forced to crowd in among the men.  At a certain point he also "disappears" into the booth where people leaving Nablus are checked, in which a female soldiers is having a loud and irritable telephone conversation while she is checking people (she was on the phone for almost 25 minutes).  Attempts to have the DCO representative come out are fruitless – he simply "doesn't hear."

Few people are leaving at this time, but those entering sometimes arrive in groups of about 30 people, and there's only one soldier checking them. 

The checkpoint commander also "disappears" along with A. (the DCO) into the booth next to the line for checking people who are leaving. 

Men leaving hold their belt in one hand, and in the other their cellphone, wallet and whatever they removed from their pockets before passing through the magnemometer.

08:43  The commander and the DCO representative emerge from the booth where those leaving are checked.  The commander starts checking those entering. 

8:48  A man holding a yellow notebook and an ID card, carrying a child, goes to the head of the line and asks to pass with his wife.  He's allowed to do so, but is asked to pass on the side.

9:00  We left Beit Iba.