Beit Iba, Wed 12.11.08, Afternoon

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Place: 
Observers: 
Tami C., Daliah G. Chana S. translating
Nov-12-2008
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Afternoon

 

Beit Iba  

After a morning visiting a family in Kfar Hars (to whom we brought requested items).

15.10    Rainy and cold. Water flooding the road. I photographed the puddles that pedestrians have to cross.

The shed was empty. Car traffic is flowing freely without a line.

Strangely, on this day they are checking ID’s of those entering.  The commander checks and directs people to pass along the dry way, not through the regular route, which is under water.

Tomer (of the DCO) and the soldier familiar to us meet us in a friendly way and chat.  The commander – evidently new to the post – feels uncomfortable in our presence.

Suddenly I notice that the commander is gone and in his place a soldier is checking those entering and directs them to the flooded lane. I spontaneously approached and "told" the Palestinian to cross in the dry path.  The Palestinian was confused, did not know whom to obey and I once again indicated with my hand that he should use the dry path. The soldier was also dumbfounded by my intervention, said nothing, and so the Palestinian indeed went via the dry route. Right away the commander appeared, apparently having seen the incident, and asked "Who are you?" "A citizen."  He: "You have no uniform yet you give orders?" I kept quiet.  We just looked at each other, he hostilely, of course.  Nevertheless he sent the soldier to another task and he himself continued to direct pedestrians along the dry path.

(The "demoted" soldier seemed not to understand his job or what was happening and in order to go to his new job walked demonstratively through the flooded path…)


While we continued to talk with Tomer and another soldier, a soldier whose nose was bandaged approached us.  When he, in answer to our questions, was telling us that he had given himself a blow with his gun, the commander hurried him to continue on his way and not to involve himself with us.  We all got the message.

 

The checkpoint was empty most of the time, with few vehicles.

 

16.10  We departed.