'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Wed 24.9.08, Morning
Qalqiliya (Eliyahu Passage)
07:00 – 07:40 –
The pace of inspections is very slow today. When we arrive number 115 is next
in line. In other days number 150-200 reaches its turn at this hour. The
inspections started at 05:00 and the total number of workers each day is
250-300, which means that the last workers will pass after 09:00, meaning also
that they will lose a workday. We talk to a woman officer of the Military
Police and to the checkpoint commander, a Border Police man. We ask them to
open another inspection post (as was done in the past), but to no avail.
Qalqiliya checkpoint
No lines.
Anabta (Einav)
10:00 – No lines.
A quick passage of vehicles on both sides. The fig seller at the junction tells
us about a young woman who suffered from serious asthma and whose family
(without a man to provide for them) doesn't have the money to pay for the
medical treatment. We are going to refer her to the organization of Physicians
for Human Rights.
Ar-Ras checkpoint (Farm 8)
10:30 – At gate
753 (the southern exit from Jubara), the soldiers urge us to get to the
checkpoint, where there is a "commotion". We get closer and can see,
from a distance, a parked vehicle in the middle of the checkpoint surrounded by
a few women. When they see us with out MachsomWatch flags, they start screaming
and waving their hands. Another man is moving from side to side waving a
Swedish flag. Edna says we should run away fast if we want to avoid being
beaten, and I wonder whether we should nevertheless go there to save the Swede.
Edna wins and we go back to 753, where we ask what ambush has been set for us.
The soldiers tell us that the Blue and White women [right wing activists] are
there with tourists from Sweden.
A United Nations
vehicle stands at gate 753 waiting for the DCO permission to enter Jubara [DCO
is the District Coordination Office of the IDF Civil Administration that
handles passage permits].