'Anabta, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Tue 3.3.09, Afternoon
Translation: Galia S.
Qalqiliya checkpoint
14:15 – The soldiers check the vehicles rather superficially.
Anabta
16:00 – In both directions the soldiers let the cars pass without any checking. There are some 20 cars in each direction, but the line was much longer when we arrived. We wondered whether a break that the soldiers may have taken had caused the long line.
Jubara checkpoint
16:25 – The soldiers, one of whom ultra Orthodox, open the gate for us politely and without delay, but when we get to the next checkpoint, 753, a soldier stands in front of us at "the blue point" blocking the passage (It's the bigger of the two soldiers standing guard at the gate, and later we are told his name is Avishai from platoon 1).
We tell him that we are allowed to pass and go as far as "the red point" at the checkpoint but he claims that he has an instruction that forbids our passage. When we inquire who gave this instruction, he is unwilling to say and also refuses to give us his name. We call the Tulkarm DCO [District Coordination Office of the IDF Civil Administration that handles passage permits], where they promises to contact the soldiers and tell them to let us pass.
A few minutes later we see the other soldier take the call and then talk to the fat soldier (Avishai?) who replies saying he is not talking to anyone, they are not allowed to pass and would they leave him alone. It seems that the soldiers have turned off the communication equipment. We call the DCO again and they promise to talk to them again and get back to us. When nothing happens, we are forced to leave and go home.
On the way out (at the Figs checkpoint?) the soldiers come to open the gate and ask us what has transpired (maybe because we spent a long time there ). When we tell them that a soldier has blocked our way, the commander (we couldn't see his rank but we got the impression he was the commander) wants to know who exactly is there and promises to take care of it.
It seems to us he means it. We should hope so, although reprimanding that soldier won't change the reality of the military practice in which soldiers of all ranks keep lying to the whole world.