'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Jubara (Kafriat), Mon 30.3.09, Afternoon

Translator: Bracha

Jubara A-Ras

13:45 Two smiling soldiers receive us when we asked to open the gate to Jubara for us.  “Who are you?  Are you allowed to go in?  We’ll find out right away.”  A car arrives, stops at the inspection opening, and two women and a man get out.  One of the women approaches the soldier with a pile of printed pages.  “How are you, sweeties?  Take this and read it so you‘ll know not to talk.  Soon we’ll bring you sweets, too.”  She takes the soldier’s hand and goes into the inspection booth with him.  The soldier who went to clarify if the gate could be opened comes back with the key and goes to open the gate for us.  A few cars pass through Te’enim checkpoint in both directions.

13:50 There are four soldiers at the children’s gate.  The bus to Jubara goes through without being checked.  They also let us through.  The road to A-Ras is open without roadblocks, without mobilizations.  We are on our way to Anabta via Kfar Sur and Beit Leed.

14:30 Anabta

There are areas that bulldozers have leveled on either side of the checkpoint and the heavy traffic to and from Tul Karem flows without being blocked by the heavy equipment working widening the road.  Soldiers are manning the two northern and southern positions and are letting cars pass without checking them.

Hechaviot Checkpoint

15:00: Next to the watchtower on the road leading to Dir Sharaf is a large truck with a crane loading gravel from the road into a truck, leaving only one lane open for cars.  Three soldiers stand talking next to the truck and one soldier supervises the traffic very efficiently.  Each time he stops the traffic from a different direction and lets cars through in the other direction.  At the exit from Nablus the soldier stops each car, takes the driver’s I.D. card, steps aside and checks the details, and returns to the car quickly.  He asks to check the trunk, lets the car go, and stops the next one while other cars are passing by without being checked. 

Qalqilya: 15:45

15:45 The parking lot next to the checkpoint is filled with cars and taxis.  Traffic in the checkpoint is light.  About 100 meters n front of the checkpoint a policeman write a report for a car with Palestinian license plates.