Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 13.10.08, Afternoon

Natanya translating.
 

 Today we went to Beit Iba, Beit Furik and Huwwara.
 
Beit Furik.  14.30 
On our way to the CP we went past the coffee kiosk. The owner said that on Saturday they burnt his shed which he had built in the last months. At the side were the burnt mat and the sofa of which only the skeleton was left. The garden of herbs was partly damaged. He said that Sunday morning together with MachsomWatch women of the morning shift he went to the soldiers and they said that at 1.30 in the morning light they had seen smoke but had not seen who had done it. He spoke to Azme ( a lawyer of Yesh Din it seems) who told him that if there were no witnesses it would be hard to help him. In the meantime he built another shed.
When we came towards the checkpoint the commander showed us a piece of paper on which was written:
"A command of the security.
A notice that the area is closed.
Checkpoint of Beit Furik.
By this I declare the area closed to Israelis, Palestinians, strangers, newpaper reporters.
The time limit is from 12.10.2008 at 16.00 to 13.10.08 at 16.00.
Signed by Itzik Bar, colonel, army commander".

Bilha photographed this. We asked the commander what had happened and he said that he did not know but the reason was the morning shift of Machsomwatch. In answer to our question he said he had not heard about the burning of the coffee kiosk.  Riva tried to phone the bridgade commander who was not available but spoke to Rina who told her of the morning shift.
One can read their report.
A few Palestinians went through without delay and one of the taxi drivers shouted to us, "Here, the soldiers are great."

Huwwara. 15.30
The parking lot is full with taxis entering and leaving. The stalls of the vendors are full of fruit and vegetables. There are no delays at the checkpoint itself. In the fast lane some of the people  are sent with their parcels to the other side of the road to the x-ray device.  Young men try to pass in the fast lane  and are sent back. Young women said it had taken them 10 minutes to pass the  checkpoint. The soldiers ignored us.
Some private cars travel to Nablus. Ids are checked.
16.15  On our way back at the Za'tara/Tapuach junction are two lines of cars from Nablus, 4 in each line, waiting to be checked.
Next to the agricultural gate at Marda are two Hummers and 6 soldiers standing outside the vehicle and chatting.

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