'Anabta, Ar-Ram, Beit Iba, Thu 25.10.07, Morning

Anabta 08:10 

– At the exit from Tulkarm there is a line of dozens of vehicles, maybe more.  A minute after we arrived it seems an order was given and all the vehicles passed through without any inspection.  Within two minutes, there was not a vehicle to be seen at the checkpoint.  I can't decide which is worse:  the thought that our presence opened up the checkpoint (which is not so likely, but it always seems to me that the soldiers want us to see that everything is all right and then go away), or that it was just an example of the arbitrariness of the checkpoint and the occupation.

 Beit Iba  08:30 

 – At the entrance there are about 10 vehicles.  About 50 pedestrians, men and women in separate lines.  Everyone is checked.  It seems they are nearly all students.  We are told that the careful inspection is due to the terror attack that took place at Ariel, and there are naturally warnings.  At the exit from Nablus, the turnstile is empty.

After a quarter of an hour the line was almost finished.  Also the detainees were released.  At the exit from Nablus there was a short line of vehicles which went through quickly.

09:15 – The checkpoint was empty in both directions.  Once in a while, people pass through in either direction, no lines.

On the way back, we saw that the checkpoint at Anabta was almost empty.

 Ar-Ras:  09:45 –

There were only soldiers and an Israeli flag at the checkpoint.