Beit Iba Checkpoint, Nablus, Tuesday 22nd July
Members of the International Solidarity Movement in Nablus were alerted to the detention at Beit Iba checkpoint of 20 Palestinian men by IOF soldiers at 8.30 pm Tuesday evening. The group decided to send a contingent of activists to Beit Iba, situated on the opposite side of Nablus from Balata Refugee Camp, where the ISM activists are stationed.
Taking food, water and cigarettes for the detainees, who had not eaten since morning, the internationals set off to negotiate the release of those being detained with the IOF soldiers. Some went directly to speak with, what were most probably young men 18,19, 20 year old soldiers serving their compulsory military service. Where they received the usual response of “This is a closed military area. Go away!” However, some soldiers were clearly agitated by the arrival of the internationals as they proceeded to yell obscenities at the tops of their voices for all to here.
The internationals gauged from the Palestinians being detained that they had been there from about 2pm that afternoon and with their IDs taken confiscated by the IOF, they had had to stay there. Some wanted to return to their homes in Nablus, others to their villages on the other side. The story of one man, however, highlights the appalling nature of this form of collective punishment. He had been waiting for an operation on his severely burnt arm for 8 years, Tuesday the 22nd July 2003, was going to be the day of his operation, the day he had been waiting for, for years. A surgeon had arrived from abroad to conduct the surgery; this was the day, perhaps the only day. This man was detained at Beit Iba. He missed his surgery. He does not know whether the surgeon is able to stay in Nablus another day to carry out the operation. He does not know whether today, Wednesday he will be allowed to pass the checkpoint. Will he have to wait another 8 years?
It would be nice to be able to say that this is an unfortunate one of incident and that it will never happen again. However, situations similar to this happen all day, everyday in the West Bank, because of the will of the occupier. This will continue to happen until the occupation ends. It is not enough that the IOF has pulled out of Bethlehem. People like the man above still have to wait at the checkpoint there to get to Al-Quds/Jerusalem, for work, for surgery, to visit family. Only a full withdrawal from all territories occupied since 1967 is enough.
Finally those detained were released at 11pm after members of the ISM from Nablus and all over the West Bank had phoned the Nablus District Coordinator of the IOF. However, the down side was – there will always be a down side as long as there is occupation – that many of those detained who wanted to return to their villages, were made to return to Nablus for the night. Where were these people to sleep? At Beit Iba checkpoint with the soldiers? Would they try and go around the checkpoint to their villages in the dead of night and risk getting shot? Or were they to return to Nablus, hopefully to friends or family, or to the streets?
This is Palestine. This is the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine carried out for 36 years in the name of security
Members of the International Solidarity Movement in Nablus were alerted to the detention at Beit Iba checkpoint of 20 Palestinian men by IOF soldiers at 8.30 pm Tuesday evening. The group decided to send a contingent of activists to Beit Iba, situated on the opposite side of Nablus from Balata Refugee Camp, where the ISM activists are stationed.
Taking food, water and cigarettes for the detainees, who had not eaten since morning, the internationals set off to negotiate the release of those being detained with the IOF soldiers. Some went directly to speak with, what were most probably young men 18,19, 20 year old soldiers serving their compulsory military service. Where they received the usual response of “This is a closed military area. Go away!” However, some soldiers were clearly agitated by the arrival of the internationals as they proceeded to yell obscenities at the tops of their voices for all to here.
The internationals gauged from the Palestinians being detained that they had been there from about 2pm that afternoon and with their IDs taken confiscated by the IOF, they had had to stay there. Some wanted to return to their homes in Nablus, others to their villages on the other side. The story of one man, however, highlights the appalling nature of this form of collective punishment. He had been waiting for an operation on his severely burnt arm for 8 years, Tuesday the 22nd July 2003, was going to be the day of his operation, the day he had been waiting for, for years. A surgeon had arrived from abroad to conduct the surgery; this was the day, perhaps the only day. This man was detained at Beit Iba. He missed his surgery. He does not know whether the surgeon is able to stay in Nablus another day to carry out the operation. He does not know whether today, Wednesday he will be allowed to pass the checkpoint. Will he have to wait another 8 years?
It would be nice to be able to say that this is an unfortunate one of incident and that it will never happen again. However, situations similar to this happen all day, everyday in the West Bank, because of the will of the occupier. This will continue to happen until the occupation ends. It is not enough that the IOF has pulled out of Bethlehem. People like the man above still have to wait at the checkpoint there to get to Al-Quds/Jerusalem, for work, for surgery, to visit family. Only a full withdrawal from all territories occupied since 1967 is enough.
Finally those detained were released at 11pm after members of the ISM from Nablus and all over the West Bank had phoned the Nablus District Coordinator of the IOF. However, the down side was – there will always be a down side as long as there is occupation – that many of those detained who wanted to return to their villages, were made to return to Nablus for the night. Where were these people to sleep? At Beit Iba checkpoint with the soldiers? Would they try and go around the checkpoint to their villages in the dead of night and risk getting shot? Or were they to return to Nablus, hopefully to friends or family, or to the streets?
This is Palestine. This is the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine carried out for 36 years in the name of security
