Beit Iba, Thu 13.12.07, Afternoon

 Beit Iba, Limitations of movement.  The road from Pondok to the village of Kadum (through Haja) is still blocked by rocks. The villagers have opened a bypass in their fields. The exit from the village of Jinspot to road 55 is still blocked. The residents exit through a dirt road to the road which comes out at the crossroads from the south. This is  collective punishment plain and simple.  Two other exits are 100 metres apart. The dirt barrier to the roads exiting from the olive groves next to Kfar Lakief opposite the entrance to Karnei Shomron is still there. The crossroads of Jit is still unmanned and the passage is open. 

15.00 -15.55   About 100 people wait to exit Nablus. Two regular queues and one humanitarian and checking is continuous.  10 cars wait to enter and over 25 to leave and here too checking is continuous and without intervals.  A roof is being put over the old checking shed and two men work above the heads of the pedestrians. They are renewing parts of the roof, welding and drilling above their heads.  (There is a picture of this).  The commander, a captain, is efficient it seems but bureaucracy of the occupation rules.  A young boy of 14 from Kuchin is not allowed to pass with his older brother of about 30 and he waits for his father to come and take him away. People who seem too young to be in the humanitarian are sent to the usual queue. People are exiting from Nablus the whole time and most of the time there are about 100 people there. Bags are carefully checked. A young man with a computer is asked to switch it on. A man with a professional camera is asked to open it.   A young man with a table computer  is given is a screwdriver to open it.  Many families are with small children and we are told that they are leaving for the holiday which will begin on Friday next week.

We had to leave because of the opening of the exhibition in Tel Aviv.