Ar Ram, Qalandiya and North Jerusalem,Monday 1.5.2006 AM Observers: Yehudit E., Neta E., Mor B. (reporting)More and more new checkpoints.On the road between D’Hiyah el Barid and Bir Naballah, south of the industrial area of Atarot, before the end of the industrial area, a new checkpoint has been erected. The checkpoint prohibits passage of both pedestrians and vehicles –there is no possibility of passing—and it cuts off the exit for residents of Bit Naballah to an easterly direction (to Ar Ram and D’hiyah el Barid. The sole exit at the moment from Bir Naballahis to Qalandiya checkpoint. The soldiers said that yesterday, hoards of people came to the checkpoint, and they apparently knew nothing about it.An old woman arrived from the direction of D’hiyah el Barid (from the east) and tried to explain to the soldiers that she was waiting for her brother who was arriving from the other side and was bringing her cheese to sell. The soldiers, who thought that she wanted to cross, told her that she must travel via Qalandiya in order to cross. After 10 minutes, her brother arrived and gave her the cheese.Another new checkpointNear the intersection that is on the road that connects Qalandiya to route 443, an additional checkpoint has been set up. Only residents of Qalandiya are allowed to pass through that checkpoint.8:05 QalandiyaWe tried to pass through the checkpoint heading north in our car. “Where to?” we were asked and said that we wanted to go to Kfar Akeb. The soldier checked our i.d.’s and told us that since we are Jewish, we are not allowed to cross, in spite of the fact that Kfar Akeb is part of Jerusalem. The army cannot check that we will not continue on to Ramallah and therefore will not allow us to pass. According to him, we cross, we will be disobeyed an army order.8:30 Another new-old checkpointIn our effort to see the new road that was built between Bir Naballah and the outskirts of Ramallah, we decided to circumvent the Qalandiya checkpoint from the east, and we discovered that the old checkpoint for vehicles, that was taken down just a month ago allowing free travel between Ramallah to Ar Ram and the rest of the territories east of the wall, is once again in operation. As a result of the checkpoint, those leaving Ramallah heading south or east were waiting in a long line. We are hoping that after the holidays it will be taken down. The soldiers said that it was set up because of alerts.