RihanMonday morning, October 25, 2004 Observers: Tami S., Tslila P. (reporting)09:30 – 10:50 – Throughout our entire shift, there was sparse movement which flowed smoothly. According to Second Lieutenant A., the checkpoint commander, who was, as always, courteous and polite, in the month of Ramadan they were permitted to ease the closure. Now they allow Arab Israelis to enter the Occupied Territories.The inspection of vehicles coming in from the West Bank is extremelystrict, but due to enforcement of the staff, there are no delays.At all times there is a line of 6-8 vehicles waiting inspection. Three employees of “Mekorot” (the Israeli water authority) waited fora “security vehicle” to escort them into the Territories, but through theduration of our shift, it did not arrive. The Mekorot staff waited in thedetainees’ shed, eating all the time, and parked their car in a way that blocked our view so that we couldn’t see the one or two detainees who waited there for about 30 minutes each until their papers were inspected.Some Palestinians who held the wrong permits were not allowed into Israel. For example, a woman from Qabatiya whose permit allowed her passage through Jalama only, was sent back.One of the soldiers was exceptionally nice to us, shook our hands andwas eager to hear all about MachsomWatch. He had heard a little from soldiers on previous shifts. After listening, he was a bit reserved. A female soldier joined the conversation, saying that she had served atQalandiya [checkpoint] and does not agree with what Lia Nirgad wrote in her book (“Winter at Qalandiya”, recently released in Israel). Having said that, with unexpected frankness, she said that in hindsight she wonders how those evil expressions came out of her mouth, and she now regrets them.Before we left, we heard a child crying; she was standing by her mother at the eastern inspection post. The soldiers rushed to offer help, handing the girl a bottle of water, which helped calm the 3-year-old.