TITLE: One Student's Journey

AUTHOR:

ORG: Alternative Information Center

DATE: April 18, 2001

Last night, 17/04/01, at 17:00 Mr. Ahmad Jaradat reached a military checkpoint while he was returning, in a service cab, from his studies at Bir Zeit University to his home in Saair. This military checkpoint is not a permanent barricade and was place on Dier Tzlah route which connects Beit Sahur to El Avadia, west of Beit Sahur. Soldiers at the checkpoint were checking identity cards of passengers who requested to pass the checkpoint, and took Mr. Jaradat's identity card. Mr. Jaradat postulates that at that time there were about 70 cars waiting. After an hour and a half of waiting at the checkpoint, shooting began from Beit Sahur toward the checkpoint. The crossfire continued for about half an hour. According to Mr. Jaradat there were about 15 soldiers at the checkpoint. Following the crossfire, the passengers continued to wait for another two hours between 19:00-21:00. Subsequently, the soldiers called Mr. Jaradat over to the jeep and began to return the identity cards to the passengers for about 10 minutes. Mr. Jaradat and a 17 year old male from Hebron, who became acquainted with Mr. Jaradat, were the only ones who did not receive their identity cards back, according to Mr. Jaradat. After the waiting cars departed the checkpoint, shooting was reinitiated for a period of 20 minutes. Mr. Jaradat and the young man independently laid themselves on the ground in order to protect themselves from the shooting. Immediately after, they requested to move to a more protected area, but the soldier who noticed that they were beginning to move pointed his weapon at them and prohibited them from moving. During the entire 20 minutes Mr. Jaradat and the young man were lying in a dangerous unsheltered area in the direction of the shooting, a fact known to the soldiers at the checkpoint who shielded and protected themselves in the military jeeps. During a short cease-fire, one of the soldiers called Mr. Jaradat and the young man to come behind the military jeep. The two did as were told and lay behind the jeep. The crossfire continued for another half hour during which the soldiers would occasionally step on Mr. Jaradat's and the young man's bodies in order to shoot over the roof of the jeep. Thus, the soldiers would step on and off people as if they were stairs. During a short cease-fire the young man was separated from Mr. Jaradat and was taken to an unknown location. Mr. Jaradat was taken to the jeep, his hands were tied with a piece of cloth and after 10 minutes of waiting in the jeep, during renewal of the crossfire, a soldier entered the jeep and sat across from Mr. Jaradat. The soldier ordered Mr. Jaradat to place his cuffed hand on his chest. When Mr. Jaradat performed the soldier's order , the soldier lifted his legs and positioned them on Mr. Jaradat's chest, and pushed him strongly against the side of the jeep. According to Mr. Jaradat he rode in the jeep, in this manner, for about 6-7 kilometers to the military base in the Tamara area. Before their arrival, the soldier took off the cloth that he tied around Mr. Jaradat's arms and covered with it his eyes. Mr. Jaradat was taken to a room he heard the soldiers describe as an "office". The soldiers sat him on a chair and he heard them closing the office. They began to interrogate him and ask him questions such as: what is your name, where do you live, where do you study, what party are you affiliated with, how is the Tanzim, how is Arafat, and was even asked concerning Bir Zeit University. At the conclusion of the interrogation one soldier asked Mr. Jaradat if he would like some water and Mr. Jaradat drank some. After 10 minutes the soldiers led him outside, and while facing the wall weapons were put up to his head and back, from the best assumption he could make of the metal that was put against his body. After 5 minutes he was taken back to what he thinks is the same office as he was held in previously. The soldiers began to ask him questions again for about 5 minutes. The questions seemed insignificant to Mr. Jaradat, such as 'what kind of cigarettes do you smoke?' After he was asked if he is in pain, he replied that his hands tied behind his back in plastic hurt. The soldiers took off the plastic. At about 23:30, according to Mr. Jaradat, he was brought to the base's gate and the cover from his eyes was removed. 3 soldiers opened his bag and asked him to verify that none of his belongings were missing. Mr. Jaradat refused to walk toward Bethlehem or Beit Sahur since at the time there was heavy crossfire and he feared entering the shooting area. He asked to stay there. The soldier threatened him and said that if he doesn't move, he will be taken back to the military camp " and then you will see what will happen to you." Mr. Jaradat was forced to walk and after 50 meters he saw a Palestinian home. He knocked on the door, told the residents what has happened and they offered him a place to spend the night, and thus he left the next morning. A request for an investigation was submitted through Neta Amar, Attorney at Law, member of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, to Maj. Gen. Eitan Yitzhak, Commander of IDF Forces in the West Bank and to Lt. Col. Moshe Yanon, Central District Advocate. END top