Interviewer: Can a terrorist's cousin be banned (permit restrictions).?

Soldier:  Yes, yes. For instance, often after some kind of terrorist attack, and this is something we would do, you automatically place a ban on the [person’s] entire first and second [social] circles. Sometimes on the whole village, depending on how big the thing was. It would happen quite a lot.

Interviewer: What’s the idea behind something like that?

Soldier: To show the terrorist that he has something to lose and that his actions have repercussions. That he’s not the only one getting hurt – if a terrorist attack is carried out now, we’ll hurt the whole family. Like, take responsibility for the actions you undertake, because a lot of people are going to get hurt from this.

 

Interviewer: How many people is it, for example?

 

Soldier: Palestinians have large families, so, say, [in] the second circle, more than 50. When it’s the whole village, it comes to hundreds of people, lots of people.

 

Interviewer: How does it work in practice?

 

Soldier: There’s a permit system, [called] 'Philosopher’s Stone'(computerized database used by the Civil Administration). There’s an option to filter and select people from a certain age range, from a certain area, and then, with the push of a button, you place a ban on all of them.

 

Interviewer: When you click on the person, does his whole family appear?

 

Soldier: Yes. 

 

Interviewer: Say you want to see the entire village – you write “Nabi Saleh,” it gives you all the people who have a permit in Nabi Saleh and you press “delete”, and then everyone’s permit is removed?

Soldier: Yes. 

 

Interviewer: Now, how does a person know his permit has been removed?

 

Soldier: He doesn’t know. He’s probably going to arrive at the reception window (see glossary) to ask for a permit next time, and he’ll suddenly find out he has a ban. Or he’ll come to the crossing to exit and will be told that his permit has been canceled.