Beit Iba, Thu 19.2.09, Afternoon

I wonder:  Can one get
used to the occupation? 

15:48.

3 inspection booths for people
leaving Nablus on foot.

2 inspection stations for cars
leaving Nablus.

People entering Nablus aren’t
inspected.

Men arriving from Nablus by
bus have to get off and go through the checkpoint on foot.  Women
remain seated on the bus.  A female soldier gets on the bus. 

16:03

A young man, apparently a student
(he’s got notebooks and a backpack), comes to the inspection booth. 
The magnemometer beeps.  He’s sent back.  Removes his shoes,
asked to show them to the MP.  He shows the soles.  Puts his
shoes on.  The MP still has the ID card.  OK, he’s passed
the physical.  Now his ID is returned, on top of the clothes. 
He takes the ID in his hand and slams it down on the counter in suppressed
anger.  Puts the clothes into the backpack, holds his belt in his
hands and hurries away from the checkpoint, his face red, avoiding eye
contact with other people.  A humiliating experience. 

Meanwhile, we discovered that
there’s a man in the detainee shed.  He’s talking on the phone. 
Later we saw that he’d been released.  He said he’d been detained
for an hour.  He “wins” and is detained each time he goes through;
he doesn’t know why.  He’s already spoken to Mikki P. about
it. 

N., a soldier from Jerusalem,
exposed tzitzit dangling, starts talking to us.  He’s convinced
he’s right because of God’s promise, and can’t understand what
occupation we’re talking about. 

17:15.  We left.