Checkpoint Experiences

Last weekend I went to see Hebron. The only Palestinian city in the West Bank that has its center taken over by Israeli settlers.
To get there, and back, we had to pass many checkpoints, as usual. To get anywhere inside the West Bank you have to pass many checkpoints, for the safety of the Israeli people and the security of the state of Israel, yeah right...
The checkpoint system, spread over the entire West Bank, is one of the most pervasive features of occupation for ordinary Palestinians. Anyone, security threat or not (even though of course every Palestinian is seen as a security threat, just because of his identity), every Palestinian has to deal with the checkpoints. It can easily be argued that the checkpoint system doesn't benefit Israeli security at all, because it's one the biggest sources of frustration for Palestinian people.
But set aside that discussion, it's still a mystery for me how the security of Israel is threatened by the free movement of people between two Palestinian towns on Palestinian territory.
The suicide bomber argument is lame and hardly convincing. It's completely ridiculous that checkpoints inside the West Bank help prevent suicide attacks, as if Palestinians are just life-hating savages trying to seize every opportunity to end their lives, even if that means doing it in a Palestinian town.
What the checkpoint system does help to prevent is the development of young Palestinians and giving them good prospects for the future. The checkpoints limit their opportunities directly. Access to good, or just any, education is limited, which might let students, or their parents, decide to stop their (university) education.
At some point the Israeli army closed down the road leading to Bir Zeit university, for some vague security reason. Students could then only access their university by foot. At first they were very creative and brought donkeys, until the Israeli army prohibited the use of donkeys on that road as well (terrorist donkey is my lucky guess of the reason..). This caused many students to drop out of university because they had to walk for miles and especially in the cold winter this was more than some students could bare.
Not being able to fulfill your dreams or just the prospect of a meaningless future is encredibly frustrating. It makes you question the Israeli checkpoint system. What is more detrimental to the security of Israel: Young educated people being able to make something out of their lives, determine their own futures? Or trying to control a bunch of heavily frustrated youngsters that have lost all hope for a better future, by imprisoning them in the city they live in? To me it just seems that either Israel just completely lacks a long-term security 'vision', or Israel knows exactly what its doing and benefits from the radicalisation of Palestinian society (the latter of course being the cynical view, if that's too bitter for you: just stick with option 1).
And one small other comment on the 'security-argument'. The main reason that the number of Palestinian suicide bombers has dropped considerably in recent years is NOT because Israel tightened its grip on Palestinian society, by strengthening its security regime. The true reason is that Hamas has stopped propagating suicide attacks amongst its followers. Because Hamas came to realize how destructive these attacks were for the Palestinian cause: it led many young people to die, it left the families of these people homeless or severely punished by the Israeli army and most of all it diminished the (small amount of) leverage the Palestinians had on the world, by wiping out support and understanding for the Palestinian struggle. At the same time, people came to this conclusion themselves. It only allowed Israel to further crack down on the rights of the Palestinian people. Of course out of such a perverse act of despair nothing good can come forth.

Anyhow, in the two months that I've been living here in Palestine I've gone through a lot of checkpoints. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy. Sometimes they ask you a lot of questions, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they are nice, often they are rude.

In general, my checkpoint experiences are not that bad. This has to do with two things: Being an international the Israeli soldiers want you gone ASAP, they don't like onlookers. With internationals around their behavior towards Palestinians is much more humane than when there are no internationals there.
Secondly being an international you're like an attraction to the bored soldiers at the checkpoints. They like to know where you came from, or they just want to practice their English.

Here are the accounts of a few random encounters:

Beit Iba checkpoint (north-west of Nablus) - The moment we were about to get out of the taxi to go through the checkpoint it began raining like hell. We ran for the checkpoint, wading ourselves through (literally) a river of water. As we entered the checkpoint we were completely soaked. The two soldiers that were standing there seemed amused (not a big deal: in our own eyes it was an incredibly funny experience). They looked suspiciously at our passports and asked us where we were from. I was the last one in line. They sort of smiled at me, even though I was wearing my keffiyeh. After they asked me where I was from and I had started to walk away, one of the soldiers hesitantly mumbled: "eeh..have a nice day.. in...eeh.. Nablus". I was amazed. Was that truly friendly meant?? I had never before heard a soldier say such a friendly appearing statement. Were they flirting with me?? I was confused. Should I've been happy that they were nice for a change, or should I have been disgusted because this treatment is most likely based on racist distinctions?

Huwarra checkpoint - When it was my turn to be checked I handed over my passport to the soldier. He took it, but held it as if I had given him this piece of rubbish and had no idea why. He growld: "From where you are?". "Holland", I replied. "Huh??"... "Hol-laaand", I said again. "The NE-THER-LANDS". "Uh", was his lame reply, with the livelihood of a dead man. He handed me over my passport with the most careless gesture you can imagine. After that I was 'free' to go.

Huwarra checkpoint - While I was waiting in line with James (a guy from the UK) to go to Ramallah for a hiphop concert, some soldier came walking towards us. "Why on earth did you come here?? Why don't you go to Jerushaleim??". He said it sort of in a nice way, just completely amazed that two western people that he (thinks he)can relate to have decided to come to Nablus. I replied that Nablus is a very nice city. "No really.. why did you come here? This place must be like hell for you.." he almost screamed enthusiastically. I told him again that Nablus was really a very nice city to visit. Then it was our turn. The soldier checking our passports asked us: "Sorry but I really don't understand why you've decided to come here". The other soldier came standing next to him and yelled: "I asked them that too. Just stay in Jerushaleim.". I said to them both that Nablus is truly amazing and walked away, leaving them behind in great confusion. James remarked that we should have told them: "the only thing making Nablus like a hell for us is you guys".

Huwarra checkpoint - I was standing in line behind a man with two little children. The oldest was a boy and around three or four years old. It's hard to imagine what occupation looks like through the eyes of an innocent kid. I remember that being a child the reality looked far more sunny and unconcerned. I don't know whether that's also the case for Palestinian children. But anyhow, when it was their turn I heard the soldier talking to the small boy. He asked him in a very kind way what's his name was. When the little kid replied he made a nice comment about his name. The kid seemed to smile. I was touched. I've seen soldiers before with Palestinian children and it was shocking to see how cold they react to these children. This was the first time I saw a sign of humane and compassionate behaviour in an Israeli soldier. Suddenly it made me realize that these soldiers might have personal believes that differ completely from that of the army. Army service is obligatory so it doesn't say a lot about your convictions. It only says something about the absence of strong convictions that prevent you from joining this horrible institution.

Still I don't want to show too much sympathy for these soldiers. Many internationals put forward that it's the system that is entirely wrong, but that these young people do not really 'have a choice' or that they 'can not really help it'. I think that's bullshit, no matter what the social consequences are of your action I think you're always obliged to do what is morally just, or at least not to participate in what is morally unjust. Without operators the system is powerless and wouldn't be able to function... That's why I don't think they are really entitled to my respect.