Ar Ram, Qalandiya, Wednesday 29.03.06 PMObservers: Ruti B., Daniella Y., Ivone M., Tami B. (reporting)”To change the routine”, a soldier revealed to his Jewish aunt why we send the Palestinians from line to line, close up the turnstiles in their face or catch them within them, and make them suddenly wait for long spans of lime — he blurted out the poor guy. Three quarters of an hour before, every time a package from those crossing came to him, he shouted at them in clear Hebrew of which some of them didn’t understand a word (and therefore did not inform them a second time, as is required) until a young man came and vociferously complained in Arabic that he is young and then it became clear that the soldier also spoke Arabic.”To change the routine”, that is a suggestion (or a command) from higher up than this soldier. Somewhere, at some place a group of people got together and thought up the idea that from the security standpoint, the routine should change. Therefore, those waiting in line were shifted around some fifteen times from line to line for 45 minutes, and one time changed the routine even more when they closed line 3 and yelled over a loudspeaker to go to line two and immediately after they reached there, they were sent back to line 3. It appears that in the new changes there is still some room for creativity — a diversion for the soldiers at the checkpoint who are victims of the boring routine.In the spirit of this afternoon of outspokenness and honesty, there was another shouting soldier — one who was sitting on the aquarium that commands the whole area of Atarot and is equipped with a high powered loudspeaker — so loud that one can hear it only loud animal like sounds — no need to understand what it said, or what language is spoken. It’s enough that they understand that he is shouting. To the soldier’s good fortune, he was protected by a double plated, armored glass, because a spitting distance from him there was the stench of filthy toilets impossible to tolerate. It is the good fortune of all the soldiers that they are protected from this and they are protected from the noise of the loudspeaker, and can remain anonymous.The meanwhile, people with green and orange i.d.’s are passing through Qalandiya but the tension is enormous: It is clear to everyone that this is about to stop at any moment and it is clear also that the struggle for the meager livelihood that remains — in a cab, as a peddler, as a transporter of goods will be hard and bitter. Everyone is waiting to see when the vehicle passage will be shut — it is almost completed now — with the beautiful circle that promises complete control on the traffic and also the slim possibility to turn back the crassness that continues to exist and to try to pass without permits. The soldiers tell us that the old passageway is going to be sacrificed “because of the outbursts of the drivers”. We deliberated about whether to wear ceramic bullet proof vests and M 16’s, but preferred to turn down the offer. A group of rather simpleminded people discussed the depression in Ar Ram. The wall there, a bit north of the present checkpoint, is at the initial stages of building. It will take some time until it will turn at the checkpoint as is planned and to complete this important project of establishing the northern border of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. A metal fence is stretched out from the end of the wall (the wall continues from north to south, from the Qalandiya checkpoint south to Ar Ram) almost to the checkpoint, and there is a narrow opening between the wall and the fence. P, an old acquaintance, very talented who does not lack opportunities for work, the height of optimism, has suddenly become very embittered. How much can one deal with these permits. A cab driver on his way back from Qalandiya to Ar Ram informed us that he also went out with six passengers. People are not traveling, they do not have money, and in a short time, there will be explosions. From the window of his car can be seen the khaki of some high ranking officer or his assistant, accompanied by two jeeps, suddenly going into reverse, forces a startled woman aside. Two children and a man, who wanted to cross the street, went to the side of the road