Beit Iba, Jit, Mon 31.12.07, Morning
9.00 Beit Iba. Before going to the pedestrian area we check out the cars entering and exiting Nablus. From the turning to Kuchin is no line and cars are checked very quickly, even when the dogtrainer checks the cars.
Something we have not seen before: a cart driver takes large and heavy parcels from one side of the checkpoint to the other. The dog sniffs them, climbs and burrows. When the man gets to the two large sofas and cupboards which are covered in nylon he found a friend to help him. He tore part of the nylon so that the dog could sniff that too and then asked two soldiers to help him. Which they did willingly.
When we got to the pedestrian area Basam, the representative of the DCO tries to tell us that the commander does not allow us in the area of the magnometer but we say that we always stand there with no difficulty there is no problem. He sends women and the elderly through not checking but when he moves off for some reason no one tells them that they can go through. The soldier who stands there for some reason starts to check all the IDs. The passage is narrow and especially not pleasant for the women when there is pressure. It seems it was built only for very small people.
At the exit from Nablus all parcels and bags are opened on the table by two soldiers who have their weapons aimed at them. This is usual but an innovation is that when they go to the magnometer people have to take off their belts and empty everything from their pockets and take off their shoes. This causes much anger and people are insulted which is also aimed at us. The soldiers acts politely and quietly but the situation is humiliating.
We cannot see if there are detainees
.
10.00 We leave for 'Anabta.