Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 14.11.07, Morning

Translation: Hanna K. 

07:15 Zeita - the gates are closed.

07:30 Za'tara/Tapuach -
No restrictions, no delays.

2-3 vehicles from each direction.

07:45 Huwwara - There are no passage restrictions.

Two checking posts are active as well as the humanitarian queue. There is an increasing pressure at the men's checking posts owing to the slowness of the checking process.

At the vehicles' lanes: There are a few cars coming from the south from time to time. The checking is continuous.

From the north, a limited number of vehicles (it is difficult to be sure from our observation point below. Later we made our observation from the Bracha mountain slope). The duration of the checking is, on the averace, 2-3 minutes.

08:10 The vehicles' traffic increases from both directions.

There is a DCO representative on the place.

08:50 Beit Furik

The CP was opened at 05:30

We receive orders to stand behind the CP and we don't argue. The demand includes a threat to stop the checking.

The checking proceeds continuously and without delays, although one lanes saves for cars coming in both directions  (to Nablus, and out of it to Beit Furiq). The waiting period for entering Nablus is short.

09:20 The CP commander and his soldiers are conscious of the fact that we are observing, and begin throwing at us teasing remarks without any provocation, and a sort of question: "something wrong?". We intentionally do not reply. There CP commander decides for some reason to move towards us for a "conversation". To his question what is not to our liking we answer that under the conditions existing at the CPs the checking progresses alright but if he asks then he should know that in the course of the years we were allowed to stand next to the checking area, and in fact, should he check the rules and regulations he will realize that the area is not a closed military zone. The young man says what his age is, and add with childish haughtiness: "I am nineteen and a half years old, and I am the CP commander here. If I want it - the CP will be closed now, and no commander will tell me to open it". To our regret he is not a partner for conversation, and it is a pity to waste words on him, also considering the age gap and the experience. There is no point in causing him any stress, especially out of consideration for the people who have to pass at the CP. In any case the things have to be decided in some other place and by people who have higher ranks than he.

10:00 Back at Huwwara

The parking lot is full, overflowing and filthy. There is no free parking space.

The traffic at the CP - both of pedestrians and of vehicles - increases, but no special problems arise and there are no superfluous delays.

We tried to deal with the matter of a taxi drvier from Huwwara whose papers were confiscated (and were not returned) because of a suspicion that he had transported suspects (he was detained and then released without being charged). We were assisted by the DCO representative who instructed him to return to the DCO after he talked to them on the phone. He left in a hurry with his friend, without exchanging phone numbers with us and we didn't get a chance to get his details. We learned that his request was rejected. We asked the Palestinian S. to try and get the man's phone or that of his friend, to enable us to continue dealing with the matter from home, but didn't get them, to our great regret.

10:30 we left. 
At Za'tara/Tapuach there is no pressure.