International Checkpoint Watch - Daily Observations

Date:            27/12/01                                  Time:  12:00 PM - 19:00 PM

Place Observed:  Surda

Number of Soldiers Present:  Four

Soldiers Names, ID #’s, License Plate #’s, Etc: 

Events Witnessed:

12:00 PM-  Four soldiers on ground randomly checking ID's of approximately 10 men every half hour.  From early afternoon I had been out at the checkpoint, most helping older women and women with children with their loads.  There were at least five elderly women who needed physical help to cross the Israeli military checkpoint.  It was clear that they were not capable of crossing the checkpoint alone as they were taking several rests or hanging onto the side of the road to hold themselves up.  There had been one elderly woman that almost fainted carrying a load on her head walking across the checkpoint.  I saved her load from falling and insisted that she stop and drink some water.  She stated "this is peace?" "I am dying and they say they are peaceful."  Five women from the U.K. were at the checkpoint for a few hours, observing and assisting Palestinians with their loads as well. 

Only emergency  vehicles and some agricultural trucks allowed through. 

15:00-  Soldier shift changes.  Four new soldiers.  Soldiers are now checking ID's of most men passing by.  This goes on until I leave at 19:00.

The commander places a large stick on the ground and makes all men that they stop stand behind the stick.  The stick was used as a "barrier" between the Palestinians detained and the Israeli soldiers.  The commander would only point to the direction of where the men had to stand.  If they did not stand behind the stick, the commander would rush at them pointing at the stick and pushing them behind the stick with his body.  The Palestinians, not sure why the commander was rushing at them usually stumbled backwards as they were physically being harassed behind the stick.  As new Palestinians joined those detained, they were warned by the other detainees to stand behind the stick, otherwise they would "get it."  Some Palestinians purposefully put their foot on the stick to "tease" the commander.  The commander made it very clear that they weren't even allowed to "touch" the stick and would warn them and push them with his body every time they did so. 

There was one soldier in particular that is singing and being extremely rude to people.  Every time he pass by me, he says smiles sarcastically and makes a comment.  If I am having a conversation with someone, he repeats what I say in an attempt to disturb or interrupt me.  He calls at the Palestinian men to stop by yelling at them.  At one point, he stopped a young boy (no more than eight years old) and asks the boy for his ID.  The young boy looked petrified. He took the soldier seriously and told the soldier " I don't have an identity card."  The soldier told the boy to go away after I interfered and told the soldier that traumatizing children had nothing to do with Israeli security.  I had asked the man that claimed to be the commander if they make it a practice to ask children for their ID's.  The commander told me not to interfere and they all carried on laughing. 

16:00-  A man had been waiting for an ID check since 15:00.  I had asked the commander why he had been waiting so long, he didn't give a straight answer and kept referring to the man as a dog.  The man, Mohammed Yousef Mohammed from "Galid", is a taxi driver.  Mohammed stated that he was being punished because he insisted that the soldiers allow him to cross the checkpoint with his taxi.  He stated that the soldiers confiscated his car keys and he was on "punishment" for not hearing them the first time.  I had called IDF representative, Colin Hymes from Beit El and informed him of the situation.  Mr. Hymes stated that he would send an officer out to the checkpoint.  I also called Al-Haq and they were corresponding with Mr. Mohammed. 

16:30-  An Israeli military jeep arrives.  The commander and I approached the jeep.  I assumed that the jeep was sent down by IDF representative Colin Hymes.  The commander attempted to stop me from speaking to the officer inside the jeep.  I told him that I wanted to consult with him as to why his soldier asked a child for his ID and why the Palestinian was being held since 15:00.  The officer in the jeep refused to speak with me and told the commander to tell me that he does not speak to civilians.  The commander and officer then spoke for a minute and the jeep pulled off again. 

17:00-  I called Colin Hymes again and he stated that he had sent a jeep down to take care of the situation a while ago. 

18:00-  The commander is engaged in a conversation with Mr. Mohammed.  It actually looked more like he was giving him a "lecture", shushing Mr. Mohammed every time he attempted to speak.  The commander then began to yell at Mr. Mohammed and began to pull him from my view.  I followed the two, where the commander began to "rough" Mr. Mohammed up by grabbing him by his jacket and pushing him back and forth yelling in Hebrew. 

19:00-  I leave.

21:00-  I attempted to call Mr. Mohammed, but to no avail.