DCO, Ma’aleh Adumim, The Container Sunday, 26.11.2006, PMObservers: Rina H., Julia w., Chana G., Rahel W. reporting DCO – Arrved at about 14:00 PM. There were 8 people waiting. Two windows were open. It appeared that it was taking a long time processing each request. However, all of those requesting permits except for one man who was trying to get the permit for his wife who was not present. One extremely well dressed man from Al Ezariya spoke to us as he left the window. He emphasized that Al Ezariya is intimately linked with Jerusalem and that the people there can’t adequately function without free access. He had submitted his request and was told to return the next day. As he was speaking to us, he was told to wait and that he could get his permit then. He told us it was because he was seen talking to us. That’s probably wishful thinking, but who knows?The Container – Continued to The container where there was an enormous amount of traffic. When we arrived, there were dozens of vehicles waiting to get through. Suddenly, everyone was let through without a glance. Then, more and more vehicles were stopped and, in what appears to be a new procedure, the ID’s are taken and the vehicles and their passengers have to cross through the checkpoint and wait down below until their names are called over a loudspeaker. During our watch, an average of 11 taxis and/or vans were parked there waiting for the return of documents at any given time. The checkpoint was seriously undermanned. For much of the time, one border policeman was responsible for vehicles coming from both directions simultaneously, a second dealt with workers on foot who were returning home, and the third was checking hundreds of ID’s Given all that, traffic moved quite quickly.