Qalandiya 6.9.06 Wednesday afternoon Observers: Tami Berger and Ivonne Mansbach (reporting)At 2:30 there was no one crossing from the northern checkpoint into Jerusalem. There were many cars trying to cross both ways and blue policemen were checking cars crossing towards the north. We see 2 soldiers driving a civilian lorry carrying supergaz containers on their way to Jerusalem.There were many school children crossing Qalandya on their way home to Ramallah from Jerusalem. All the time there are a few people trying to get into the Matak (Liasion Office), located behind entrance 5 at the terminal. We go into the Matak offices and find there an elderly man who has a merchant pass to go into Jerusalem, where all his children and their families live. He wants to get a permit for his wife, who he calls his partner in the business, as well. He is not sure he will succeed. He says, as if ashamed of the weakness and excusing himself, that his wife also wants to see her children and grandchildren.At 3:05 many people have already gathered on their way back home to Jerusalem after a day’s work in Ramallah. Only entrance 1 is open, for men and women alike and it takes time for each one to be checked. At 3:30 only entrance 4 is open and there are more than 40 people waiting to cross to Jerusalem. This is what we know as the Rule to Break the Routine, so that nobody knows which entrance will be open next. Each entrance is open for a few minutes and then people are asked to move to another entrance. Thus, those who have waited for a long time and are closer to be checked, , end up being at the back of the line and have to wait again when people run to the newly opened line. People are very angry:”There are many doors and they open only 1; they want to disturb us, to make us leave Jerusalem but we will stay. We are all Jerusalemites, we were born here.” “Until when will this go on, until we explode?” “This is the Zionist culture at its worst”. An old woman waits to be checked by the female soldier who shouts orders to her in Hebrew. She doesn’t know what the soldier wants from her, she has placed her ID for inspection in the wrong place and is being abused by the soldier for this. The fruit peddlers on the northern side of the checkpoint sell Israeli-grown figs. They can only buy and sell Israeli products, only those can be transported from place to place. The Palestinian products can be consumed only in the local village where they are grown but transportation to other locations is extremely costly and hazardous. This is a very important aspect of freedom of movement that is controlled by Israel and contributes immensely to the deterioration of Palestinian economy.Around 4:30, traveling on road 443 between the Qalandiya junction and Ofer Prison one can see on the right hand, below 443, the new road that has been built that connects Bir Nabala and Ramallah, through Rafat. This is supposed to be a solely Palestinian road, without any connection to Israeli settlements. However, we see there a flying checkpoint and a very long line of cars in both directions.