Beit Iba, Mon 4.8.08, Morning

.Beit Iba
The banality of occupation 

08:30  A line of about 7 cars at the exit, the passage takes a few minutes for each car.  When cars arrive at the "humanitarian" line, the passage in the regular line comes to a halt, rather than opening 2 separate lines. The pedestrian crossing is quite fast, once in a while a line forms at the entrance (when a bus or two arrives);  the line dissolves quickly when the commander joins the inspection team. 

The owner of a wagon with a donkey, with about 7 large full bags on it, is not allowed across.  According to the DCO rep, there is a "commercial roadblock" at Beit Iba, so he must go via Awarta.  That is, to travel all around it, to take the merchandise and go back about 40 km instead of one km. Once in a while a vehicle is sent to be checked by a dog. Another wagon full of merchandise, this time from Dir Sharaf.  There is raw material for plastics production in the bags;  it is written on the bags that it is forbidden for this material to stay in the sun.  Also this wagon is not allowed to pass through and the driver drives himself crazy trying to find a solution for the problem.  We turned to the Hotline and got the same answer that the DCO rep had given us.  He should go via Awarta.