Beit Iba, Wed 3.9.08, Afternoon

14.30  on the way to beit iba via qalqiliah , we entered the nursery ‘alparadiso' and continued along the path to the gate.  We wanted to understand their implications for the nursery workers.  I asked a sad-looking worker sitting on an old shabby mattress if he would answer some questions in Hebrew, to which he agreed. I introduced myself and our ogranisation.  He asked ‘how does that help us?'   ‘very little, but we do whatever we ca.  would it be better if we didn't?"  he nodded in agreement, but with the same despairing expression.  According to him, the lands of the nursery belong to people of qalqilya and habla, both of which are ‘wrapped' bythe fence. To reach the nursery from qalqila, instead of reaching it in 5-10 minutes via the tmain road, they have to travel a side road passing below te main road, reaching the fence.  The gate opens 3 times a day, for an hour each time.

The vision of this young man, with his expression of frustration and heloplessness, haunts me.

• 14.45 qlailaya. No quest, the traffic flows - few vehicles.
• 15.25 the cars entering flow without a qwues. Exitying Nablus 5 cars in line.

At the pedestrian ccheckpoint, there are about 30 people in the shed, mostly students., At the humanitarian gate students pass almost without checking.  During Ramadan they study at the university only until 1 p.m.  there are not detainees.

According to tyomer, the passage that has been opened at ganot has decreased the number of people passing at beit iba.

Pediestrians entering are not checked, apparently already for te past two days.  The commander itzik, in place of nir baram, is less strict and, in general, this is the case during Ramadan, including the absence of dogs.  Sarah suggests that perhaps the army thinks that muslims are not allowed to carry arms during Ramadan?!!

• 15.40 a bus full of passengers waits two minutes and proceeds, without any apparent checking.

In private cars, only the driver's i.d. is checked. No checker at the humanitarian gate and girl students pass freely.  Two men loaded with large packages pass calmly and confidently.  How much explosive could they pass without checking/  but, as we said, apparently on Ramadan Palestinians don't have weapons!  Why can't we have ramdan twice a week (like purim)?

• 16.0 all quiet. In the shed there are, indded, people but the queue moves quickly.

We leave.