Slow passage
03/01/2012 ,Morning
Leila S. Hanah H. (reporting)
6:05 - Reihan checkpoint
The upper car park is stuffed with vehicles which is sign that there are still quite few people inside the terminal.
We go down the sleeve and meet women workers only. One of them tells us that most of the people are held by the X-ray machine that operates slowly.
Average time of stay inside the terminal is about 30-40 minutes.
6:15 There is noise inside the terminal after which pace of those coming out grows a bit faster.
Once again we are approached by people complaining that only one elderly person from each family can obtain an agriculture permit and non of the younger family members who can help in the routinely chores of farming except for the two months of olive picking.
6:30- Heavy traffic to both directions, occasionally it seems as if some sort of blockage is lifted inside the terminal, but according to other people there is crowding of about 40 people by the machine.
7:05 - Shaked checkpoint
Only now soldiers open the gates and with in five more minutes people begin entering the inspection cabin.
A five years old child arrive with his father from the side of the West Bank, the kid crosses over alone into the Seam Line zone, near us, on the other side of the gate, his uncle picks him up to take him to the grandmother, to babysit for him at Daher-el-Malec.
Pedestrians as well as vehicles cross over on both sides.
7:25- School children begin arriving. Two female soldiers and a soldier with a pointed rifle, inspect their school bags and let them through quickly. College students who go to Jenin are required to go through the inspection cabin.
27/12/2011 ,Afternoon
Hanna Aviram and Petahya (reporting).
We drove in Hanna's car.
13:45
Habla – the gate was open. The children's bus arrives and undergoes a thorough inspection by two soldiers.
At 14:02, even before they could shut the two gates, a Palestinian vehicle arrives but it's too late, two minutes have gone by, and he is forced to return and to wait for the evening.
We noticed that cameras had been installed and that the signpost which indicates the opening hours had been removed and in its stead there is a red signpost "military zone, whoever passes or damages the fence endangers himself".
14:30
Huwwara – the CP was empty.
We entered the vegetable shop at Huwwara and they told us that today, from 09:00 a.m. the soldiers have closed the main street at Huwwara, made vehicles return and ordered them to drive through an alternative road. The street was opened for traffic at 15:30 only. They told us that Huwwara CP was also closed and people were made to go back. They were forced to drive through Awwarta and Beit Furiq.
16:10 – Azoun Atma –
A long queue winds along, the workmen complain that what hurts them is that they are treated like animals. One of them, an elderly man even said "they don't know that the wall of Berlin has fallen, by what right they close us in walls, a day will come…"
From the moment we arrive the checking became quicker and they began passing three workmen together. They complain that the big problem is in the early morning hours.
We were surprised to see workmen passing by a side road and when we asked they said that they are called zero zero. These are workmen who work on 24 hour shifts and they have special authorizations.
22/12/2011 ,Afternoon
Riva Bachrach, Yehudit Levin (reporting and photographing)
Translator: Charles K.
The usual line at Azzun Atma – about 150 Palestinian laborers returning home forced to wait hours by the side of a heavily-trafficked road, with no shelter over their heads, whatever the weather.
14:00
Habla checkpoint - Vehicles and people on foot manage to go through after being inspected, just before the gate closes.
14:20 Eliyahu crossing – A Hanukkah menorah at the entrance to the checkpoint with holiday greetings from the Shomron regional council. We later see the same thing next to the Palestinian house outside the fence at Azzun Atma.
14:27 Entrance to Azzun village (Highway 55) – Four armed soldiers stand at the entrance gate.
14:45 Jit junction – We didn’t see a parked military vehicle.
At the turn to Highway 60 (toward Huwwara) – installation of nighttime lighting stretching for kilometers is nearing completion, for the settlers of Havat Gil’ad.
14:50 Huwwara checkpoint – A soldier in the guard tower next to the inspection booths. A soldier guards the hitchhiking station at the entrance to the Bracha settlement.
14:55 Awarta checkpoint – The yellow iron bar is closed as usual – no access to
Nablusfrom here.
Large military bulldozers working energetically at the northern entrance to Awarta, creating long, high
earthen berms.
Back to Highway 60 – heavy traffic between Nablusand Ramallah.
15:40 Za’tara checkpoint – Two soldiers at the inspection station. They’re not inspecting.
15:50 Ariel industrial zone –Very large hangers under construction to the north as well as to the south.
16:00 Azzun Atma checkpoint – About 150 Palestinian laborers returning home after a day of work stand in a very long line waiting to be inspected under a canopy sheltering the soldiers (most of whom today wear yarmulkes and earlocks. One speaks in English – a new immigrant).
The laborers are used to the occupation’s tricks – one day there’s no line, the next day there is.
We contact the humanitarian office so they’ll speed up the crossing – “We’re taking care of it,” they respond; “I’ll do the best I can” [Noga], but it doesn’t appear that anything will really help.
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18/12/2011 ,Afternoon
Annalin K., Naomi L., Rina T. (reporting)
Translator: Charles K.
About two weeks ago a deep ditch was dug from the Hamra checkpoint to the Gochia checkpoint, a distance of a few dozen meters, west of the Alon Road, along the route that was flatter before the ditch was dug. The ditch is more than 4 meters deep, too narrow for a vehicle to pass. They placed boulders where they were unable to dig. It’s impossible to cross north of the checkpoint because of the topography (cf. photo in the report). The result of these obstacles is that the Gochia checkpoint, which is open only three times a week for half an hour in the morning and in the afternoon is the only way for anyone living east of the road to access the area to its west. In recent months, the Gochia checkpoint has almost never been open. Up to now it has been barely possible to get around the ditch, and you risked punishment. Now that’s no longer possible at all.
Despite the new, deep ditch, the Gochia checkpoint remains closed all the time. At the hour it was scheduled to open a tractor pulling a wagon full of hay was waiting, and only after an hour and a half, during which we telephoned the DCO every ten minutes, did it open. The driver and five small children waited two hours waited for the checkpoint to open, until 5 PM, and the checkpoint remained closed. It’s unclear why the army invested so much effort and money to dig the ditch just to prevent a handful of Bedouin from reaching their encampments in the area or the town of Tamun west of the road, and doesn’t even bother to open the checkpoint even for the limited amount of time that was promised. Malice? Or obtuseness? Aren’t people involved here?
Za’tara checkpoint (Tapuach junction) – 11:40
Vehicles coming from the direction of Huwwara are being inspected. Five cars on line. Two military jeeps at the checkpoint, but no Palestinian cars have been detained. There’s a soldier in the observation tower at the junction.
Ma’aleh Efrayim checkpoint – 11:55 – Soldiers are present. No cars. As usual, young settlers wait for rides in the soldiers’ booth.
Gitit settlement – We can see that the agricultural area has been expanded. New sown fields south of the built-up area. New poultry houses have been built recently.
Hamra checkpoint – 12:15
Three cars wait for people coming through the checkpoint on foot. They arrive pretty quickly, holding their belts in their hands. A contractor who goes through every day says that it hasn’t been bad recently.
Vehicles travelling west, to Area A, aren’t inspected, but stop and wait to be waved through. A new yellow sign was recently erected in front of the checkpoint, announcing that ambulances don’t have to wait on line.
Maskiyot settlement – A new fence has been erected around the settlement, and they took advantage of the opportunity to double its area northward. Until a year or two ago, there was a pre-military program for religious youth here, with a few buildings to house students, staff and their families. After the withdrawal from Gush Katif, a number of families arrived who’d been evacuated from one of the localities there. They built them the villas on the ridge. The new fence may signify an intention to expand the settlement.
When we visited the Bedouin tents on the other side of the road (where the blue tent belonging to young people from Maskiyot once stood), we were told that three days ago settlers from Maskiyot, along with the head of the settlement’s security who is notorious among the Bedouin, fell upon the women. They chased away their flock, searched the tents (looking for what?) and then left. The residents of Maskiyot frequently abuse the neighboring Bedouin, and no one stops them.
We met a mobile clinic on the road to the Tayasir checkpoint – an ambulance with a physician and nurses. They come from Tubas, where there’s a medical center, and visit the Bedouin encampments twice a week. Later we saw them at one of the encampments, the ambulance parked on the road, a number of woman and children waiting to be treated.
The ambulance driver complained that they’re delayed an hour or more at the Tayasir checkpoint while the medical staff and ambulance undergo a lengthy inspection. When we were at the checkpoint we saw them going through quickly toward Tubas. Was it because we were there? Or because they were headed to Area A? Inspections of people going in that direction are faster anyway.
Tayasir checkpoint – 13:20 – 14:30
The checkpoint was empty during most of the first half hour.
We remained in the car to eat lunch. The commander and another soldier approached us (curiosity), asking whether we need help. Then the shift changed and when we later went over to the pedestrian checkpoint the new commander (who seemed also to be new to the area) approached, announcing that it’s a closed military area, etc., etc. Finally we compromised, and remained halfway up the hill.
As usual at the checkpoint, vehicles are inspected only from one direction at a time, so lines form from the other direction.
14:15 – Fifteen minutes passed before any vehicle on line from the east was called up, and then they started going through quickly. The taxi drivers collect the ID cards ahead of time, which makes the inspection go faster. The line of five cars was gone in five minutes.
A closed truck, also on its way to Area A (under Palestinian control), is carefully inspected. They remove the canvas cover, a soldier climbs up to inspect. It was carrying empty plastic containers for agricultural produce.
14:25 – A car coming from the west is detained. The driver argues. It turns out that he moved forward for inspection without having been signaled to do so. Then his vehicle is carefully inspected. He didn’t receive any additional punishment, perhaps because we were watching?
15:05 Gochia checkpoint
Cf. the main points, above. We telephoned Zaharan, the DCO crossings officer, every ten minutes. He contacted his representative at brigade headquarters; they tried to find out what was happening, made repeated requests, and each time were promised that someone was on the way to open the gate, but no one came. We kept nagging. We had to leave at 16:15 because of commitments. We gave the tractor driver Zaharan’s phone numbers, and ours, and took his. That’s how we found out that the gate finally opened at 16:30.
Ma’aleh Efrayim checkpoint – 16:35
Soldiers are present. The checkpoint is empty.
13/12/2011 ,Morning
idit S., Anat T., (reporting)
6:50 Sheikh Saed
Pedantic registration of names today creates a lengthening line. 25, including children, were checked while we were here (more than 1 1/2 hrs.), a very slow pace for a small checkpoint through which a small number of familiar persons cross. Children too are checked. We notice a small boy, turning back with his schoolbag in the direction from which he came, and wiping tears. He's a 10 year old from Sheikh Saed with a printed permit from his school in Jabel Mukhaber, but had forgotten his "kushan" at home. With the assistance of the drivers, we ask he be left with us while we investigate what happened. Meanwhile another 3 children who were turned back arrive: a girl of 12 with a permit from school, and a "kushan" confirming her age, a boy of 13 (ditto), and his 12 year old friend whose parents live in Jerusalem (Armon Ha-Natziv) and who had spent the night with his grandmother in Sheikh Saed, and has only the school permit. All are prevented from reaching their school today. The decision seems to be deliberate. It appears that the soldiers at the checkpoint demand children under the age of 16 (even from the age of 5, we later learn) to carry a special permit from the Administration, in addition to the "kushan" and the official school permit. We find this incredulous, and begin a round of telephone inquiries to help these anxious children get to their school on time. We call the headquarters of the Jerusalem Envelope Civil Administration (02-9703762), and the Humanitarian Centre (responsible for the entire West Bank) -- both are manned at this hour by soldiers not qualified make decisions and need time to check with their officers. The military police company commander of Sheikh Saed does not answer, and from Headquarters of the Jerusalem Envelope (police, border police and army) we are told after a short inquiry that they have spoken with the checkpoint and that crossing is according to regulations ("status"), and that all is in order. The most promising link is Headquarters of Jerusalem Envelope Administration where, after 40 minutes, an efficient officer called A. begins to deal with the issue. Idit also checks with headquarters at checkpooint 300 and is told that pupils up to the age of 16 do not require additional permits beyond the "kushan" and the permit from their school.
Time passes, the soldiers do not respond to our requests and those of the children running late, and in the meantime the headmaster of the school in Jabel Mukhaber arrives and rquests to take the child who slept at his grandmother's in Sheikh Saed. He is the boy's uncle, and confirms that the boy studies in the school in Jabel Mukhaber and that his parents live in Jerusalem. A fierce argument ensues, and the soldiers refuse: "How can we let the kid cross without papers, any one can come along and say they're his uncle, his grandfather ..."
More than 1 1/2 hrs. went by. From Envelope headquarters they say a representative was sent to the checkpoint half an hour ago. We call the cell phone of the Jerusalem Envelope DCO commander who sounds shocked by our report, never in his years of service has he encountered such a problem at the Sheikh Saed checkpoint, and promises to deal with it. It begins to look as though the fuss we raised is beginning to filter through and, perhaps as a result, one border police commander arrives. He allows the headmaster to take the child to school ("for this final time"), and explains to us the history of the "status" orders in Sheikh Saed:
Until recently children up to the age of 16 were allowed to cross with a school permit and a "kushan" testifying to their age. But there had been too many forgeries (too many Palestinian children from Sheikh Saed wish to study in the nearby Jabel Mukhaber, although not eligible), and therefore they are now required to produce the extra permit which the administration provides to the school with regard to these pupils, and without it they are not allowed to cross. The order is in effect from the age of 5!
He also tells us that exercise of judgement permitted to soldiers at the checkpoint is limited to unusual humanitarian and medical issues, and tells us of the case of resuscitation by a paramedic at the checkpoint, and the exceptional opening of the gate (always locked) to let an ambulance through. All these cases are permitted for humanitarian reasons, but in other matters there is no permission to bend the rules.
At long last contact is made between the officer from the Envelope Admininstration and the checkpoint, and the border police officer is given permission to let the children cross. After a few minutes he explains to all that a name-check on the computer would show whether they are indeed bona fide pupils at the school. The soldiers at the checkpoint say this would be impossible for large numbers, but it's clear that a few could be checked and not turned back. All it takes is a bit of good will and common sense. We hope these can be found. As for the draconian measures regarding pupils from the age of 5, we feel this to be unacceptable, and requires renewed invetigation. The fact is no such regulations exist at other checkpoints.
Btw, the Jerusalem Envelope DCO commander at Olive Terminal, A., an efficient man willing to help at any time, has been moved to another task, and his replacement is T. So far we have not been able to get hold of his telephone number, but will continue to try.
9:10 The new checkpoint at Shuafat Refugee Camp
The checkpoint was opened yesterday. We arrived after the morning's activity was over to see its appearance, where and how one crosses now. Fortunately we met the checkpoint commander who was courteous, nice and forthcoming, and who took us inside to see the investigation rooms for pedestrians. There were almost no people crossing, and we did not see the representatives of the neighbourhood council who could have told us of what went on yesterday and today during crossing.
The good news: According to the commander, and judging by the
arrangements in situ: the buses collecting the thousands of pupils from Shuafat to schools in Jerusalem (financed by the community management of the Jerusalem Envelope and the Municipality, set up to care for all the tens of thousands of Jerusalem citizens left behind the wall) are supervised by a representative of the neighbourhood council in the large parking lot in front of the checkpoint; beyond that the soldiers only check that the passengers are all children. This reduces the pressure on pedestrians crossing in the morning and improves the security of children who used to cross a busy road between speeding cars. A fearful sight. The commander also said that other buses also cross in the same way, but this was not quite clear to us. Will all the buses now leaving the checkpoint to all destinations in Jerusalem leave in front of the checkpoint? Hard to believe.
The bad news: The pedestrian crossing abuts on the large crossing for
vehicles (5 crossing points, architecture like an airport), adding a long ditance to walk from beyond the exit from inspection to the not very large parking lot for vehicles and the road going to Jerusalem and Pisgat Ze'ev. Also, not clear what will become of the area between the new and the old checkpoint. Will it afford closer parking space for those returning to Shuafat? If so, the distance for those returning will be shorter, if not, it will remain a long walk from the roundabout to the neighbourhood.
The inspection area: The entrance to the hall ahead of the closed inspection
area (not large, a concrete grey) is through one turnstile only, as is the exit to Shuafat, raising fears of much pressure in the morning, similar to that at Checkpoint 300 in Bethlehem, and pressure on the return journey as well. Why?
The waiting hall is trapeze shaped, two turnstiles on both sides for crossing to two inspection areas on each side. At present only one side is open, with 4 inspection windows and one covered x-ray machine not operative. The commander says the residents have been promised for now that checks will continue as in the past, i.e. without x-rays and biometric machinery.
Vehicle crossing:
Spacious and seems intended for a great volume of traffic. This is the enormous part of the checkpoint compared to which the pedestrian crossing is tiny. The comander says that for the present only residents of
Shuafat and Anata cross. Others from different part of the West Bank are not allowed to cross. Will this regulation remain in the future?
Operational conclusion: A visit must certainly be paid, around 7:00, to check what happens, also in the afternoons to see how the return is managed. We recommend the Wednesday and Thursday shifts, as well as others, to come regularly for the present. We suggest to enter with the car into the inside of the checkpoint (as in Qalandiya) and then continue with the pedestrians to the inspection, after which to return, pick up the car, and return in it.
13/12/2011 ,Morning
Hanah H.
Translation: Yael S.
5:55 - Reihan checkpoint
Only a few workers wait for transportation. They report a very slow passage "because there are new workers" and indeed, it is now 06:10 and, different from other days, the many seamstresses who come out report a prolonged inspection.
One of those going through tells me that on Friday at 11:00 he was hit by an Israeli car as he was coming out of the checkpoint, and that the car drove away fast through the vehicles' gate to one of the settlements . An Israeli ambulance took him to the Dotan checkpoint and they called a Red Crescent ambulance which took him to a hospital in Jenin. Despite all the cameras around he was unable (of course) to obtain the license plate number of that car.
6:15- It is quiet by the windows at the terminal but I do hear noise on the other end which is a sign of crowding, and indeed those coming out say that passage is extremely slow.
The drinking water faucet is still out of order.
Another story I've heard - on Saturday a taxi driver was harrassed because he dropped off passengers in a place that didn't appeal to the checkpoint workers, who confiscated his I.D card temporarily. When he came back and tried driving his passengers through the vehicles' inspection post (he holds a valid permit for that) he was told that he cannot drive through. He started arguing with them, which ended in his being beaten up so badly that he'd passed out. He was taken to the hospital and is still unable to move.
The incident was reported to "BeTselem".
7:00 - Shaked checkpoint
Many gates are open and people from the West Bank are entering, in tens. We were told that there were at least 50 people there. Passage is swift.
People from the Seam Line zone also go through quickly in their cars.
School pupils go through without inspection.
13/12/2011 ,Afternoon
Dafna (reporting); Alon Idan, journalist from Ha’aretz
Translator: Charles K.
11:30 Tapuach-Za’tara checkpoint
Heavy traffic from the south (Ramallah) and from the north (Nablus) – No car arrived at the checkpoint during the seven minutes we watched. There must be a checkpoint or roadblock somewhere farther along the road on the way to Huwwara.
11:50 Ma’ale Efrayim checkpoint - The checkpoint isn’t manned
We drove to El Auja to see the spring which until ten years ago flowed abundantly and provided water via channels to the town of Auja, the surrounding localities and the Dead Sea (so it won’t dry up, God forbid), 1/3 to each destination. Rusted dams, blocked channels, and the famous water slide are all ruined, because Israel erected three giant pumping stations nearby and another one higher up the hill, and diverted all the water to the settlements. And they even had the nerve to ask us to vote for that miserable, neglected site (the Dead Sea) that’s drying up because of Israel’s failures, so that it will be honored by UNESCO…
This is how the El Auja spring looked in 1998.
Now it’s winter, no heavy rains yet, but even though some rain has already fallen the location is as dry as the sole of the occupier’s shoe. Compare the attached photos. Note: the photo of the dams shows the white pumping station “peeking” above the dam.
13:30 Hamra – No cars. We drove on.
14:00 – Tayasir checkpoint
We’re halfway up the hill to the checkpoint and three soldiers come toward us to chase us away. One of them says he’s the checkpoint commander, flounces toward me puffing out his chest, announcing “Me – I’m the man!!! Remember me?” (cf. the Jordan Valley report, Hamra, a month ago). His arrogance and pride, reminding me of the violent incident he oversaw, indicate that the police did nothing about it.
He yelled at his soldiers to close the checkpoint. Five minutes later a line of seven cars had formed from the east and six from the west. We were forced to withdraw in order not to harm the Palestinians. The journalist tried to explain to the soldiers that harming the Palestinians in order to get rid of us is both illegal and immoral, but his words fell on deaf ears. I called Zaharan, the DCO officer. He didn’t answer.
Palestinians we spoke to said that there have been many delays recently at this checkpoint.
(15.12.11 – Two days after this shift, starting at 14:00 in the afternoon, I received four telephone calls from Palestinians reporting that the soldiers at the Tayasir checkpoint are lounging in the shed, not inspecting, not letting anyone cross, and long lines of cars are waiting. At 16:00, after calls to the DCO and to Zaharan, they began letting people through).
Gochia checkpoint (13:40 and 15:00)
The gate is open; we went in toward Tamun. Some 300 meters east of the gate are rows and rows of tents and soldiers aiming at targets shaped like people, set up between them and a path on which Palestinians travel. We were afraid of being hit by a stray bullet. Isn’t the safety of Palestinians important enough for them to shoot in a different direction? Cars parked next to the tents, the soldiers’ families visiting their children. Is that why the gate is open?
(15.12.11 – Two days after this shift there was a call that the gate hadn’t opened at 15:00 as it was supposed to; Palestinians with wives and children were waiting. The gate opened at 16:10, after calls to the DCO).
16:00 – Ma’ale Efrayim – Manned by three soldiers; three cars waiting to cross slowly from the West Bank to the Jordan Valley.
08/12/2011 ,Morning
Estie W. Shosh D. Navah E.
Natanya translating
When there are no permanent checkpoints there are rolling checkpoints.
6.25 Azzun Atma. An innovation at the checkpoint. After months of complaints about the lack of shelter - a kind of an enormous tent covers the checking area as protection against sun and rain. But only there, over the heads of the Palestinians who are waiting in queues nothing has been built. A long line stretches out there and the drivers say that they have been waiting about an hour for their workers. There are reservists and a captain present but they do nothing to shorten the line of those waiting but adding a soldier who can register by hand. The soldiers say that it is not terrible that the workers are waiting in line because they would in any case have had to wait for their transport……
6.45 The Shomron crossing. No blue police presence at the exit from Israel. At the entrance to Israel is more careful checking than usual.
The entrance of Marda and Zeita is open.
Za’tara/Tapuach.There are no soldiers at the checkpoint post but in spite of that the drivers go slower and there seems to be an interference with the traffic.
Burin/Yitzhar checkpoints. No army activity.
7.10 Beit Furik. At the entrance to the village there is again this week a rolling checkpoint. A group of soldiers have spread out a road's spikes and the traffic stands mainly at the exit of the village. We counted 50.The soldiers tell us that this is the way it should be. We spoke to the DCO and they said that they would check if this checkpoint was necessary. About 10 minutes later when we left the village we saw that the road's spikes had been removed and the soldiers and the line of cars had disappeared.
At the “permanent” checkpoint at Beit Furikthere was no army activity
Awarta.The yellow bar still prevents the passage.
7.45 Huwwara checkpoint.No soldiers. 2 soldiers block the ascent to Bracha settlement. We did not see a soldier at the post opposite the hitching site.
Burin/Yitzhar No army vehicle.
8.10 Za’tara/Tapuach.No soldiers at the posts.
Shomron crossing. A superficial check.
05/12/2011 ,Afternoon
Natanya G. and Phyllis W. (reporting)
Today, for a change, there were many people at the CP when we reached Qalandiya at 3:50 PM after waiting in the traffic jam in the southern square for 20 minutes.
Two ambulances, one of them intensive care, were standing in the old bus parking lot when we arrived. A Palestinian ambulance was being examined in the vehicle CP. Inside the ambulance we could clearly see that someone was administering resuscitation. We did not find out how long the Palestinian ambulance waited until the ambulances arrived from Jerusalem and it was allowed to enter the CP. However, from the time it entered the CP, things went very fast. The man in the ambulance was transferred to the intensive care vehicle and the resuscitation attempt continued for another half an hour before the team gave up and declared him dead. And then his body was transferred yet again, to the regular ambulance because his family wanted to bury him in Jerusalem. The Palestinian ambulance departed.
Inside the CP, there were three active passageways full of students returning to Jerusalem. One man was waiting to enter the DCO offices in Passageway 5. He told us that he had been waiting for half an hour. We phoned headquarters but that didn’t help, so we phoned again and asked to talk to the DCO representative. The turnstile opened and the man entered the passageway a few minutes later.
At 16:30, when we returned from the ambulances, only two passageways were operating with about 40 people waiting in line in each. The lines were not moving. We phoned headquarters and were answered by Shlomi who promised that another line would be opened shortly. But nothing happened. As far as we could see, the problem was caused by the fact that the soldiers on duty were not working very hard. They were allowing 3 people to enter the examination area together and, when the 3 had passed through, they would take a 5 minute break before letting the next threesome in. That is what we reported in our next phone call to Shlomi. But when we left Qalandiya, the lines were still very long. There was also a very long line in the western passageway for bus passengers, extending way beyond the examination area.
A Palestinian woman stopped to talk with us and said she had a thousand CPs in her heart. She told us how hard people had to work just to pay for the bare necessities like water and electricity and to send the children to school. Life is hard!
29/11/2011 ,Afternoon
Fathiya A., Chana K.
Translator: Charles K.
13:45 Habla gate: Some women with permits want to cross to visit someone who’s given birth, bringing plastic bags with gifts – clothes. They’re not permitted to take two of the bags through. The explanation: “Clothing isn’t permitted through this checkpoint.” The answer from the DCO: “We’ll handle it. You don’t have to call us again.” Bottom line – the gate closed, the bags were sent back. Another explanation: “Merchandise isn’t permitted through this checkpoint.”
14:30 – Checkpoint at the entrance to the village of Sara.
14:40 – Soldiers cross from one side to the other in front of the Huwwara checkpoint. Traffic flows though the checkpoint itself without any soldiers present.
15:45 – Azzun Atma. Cars with yellow license plates (no others) speed along the road. It’s too dangerous to cross the road to the checkpoint – of course, there’s no pedestrian crossing. The fence next to the checkpoint abuts the road, alongside it a single line of people (there’s no room for anything wider) that keeps getting longer as workers are dropped off by their employers. There’s a line only in one direction. The soldier explains: A double line is dangerous for the soldiers.
They could be stabbed. The line keeps getting longer, and as darkness begins to fall it numbers more than one hundred persons. Before we left we asked one of those at the end of the line to call us when he gets through the checkpoint. He’d arrived at the checkpoint at 16:30. We left at 16:45. He called at 18:00. The response from the humanitarian office: The problem – which the higher-ups are aware of – will soon be solved. God willing.
As we said, there was no line on the other side, so the view wasn’t spoiled.
