Ar-Ram, Qalandiya Thursday morning, 11 March 2004 Watchers: Eva J., Valeria S., Rama Y., Shalmit B. (reporting) Ar-Ram:The checkpoint was relatively crowded this morning both for pedestrians and vehicles. Probably due to the state of high security alert in effect, the checking was strict than usual. 60-70 people crowded before the soldiers who checked the papers quite slowly. People gradually lost patience. One woman also called towards us that she had been waiting from 05:30 in Qalandiya, and added that being treated like animals, no wonder they react the way they do. Children were let through quite efficiently until at a certain point the crowd lost patience and advanced towards the lone soldier who was on duty. He started yelling at the people to go back, or he would not let anyone in. People were reluctant to lose their place, and his attitude turned aggressive. This shameful encounter repeated a few times. We tried in vain to contact people on the list (see list of wrong numbers in the end). At last, a lieutenant colonel replaced the young soldier. He repeated his maneuvers, but the checking turned much more efficient. On the way back we spoke with him. He claimed that the checkpoint is a closed military zone, and asked us to stand away. Showing him the Aizenkot letter did not change his reaction. In addition to the soldiers, there was a crew of 3-4 men checking also whether drivers have paid their TV tax. They would stop cars randomly and confiscate the cars of those who did not pay, unless they immediately pay their debts. According to them, they come only Thursdays to Ar-Ram (other days they are in other cities…), and that a large percentage of the people don’t pay the tax. According to the Palestinians, this crew is present every day. We acted in 2 cases: A doctor from the Red Crescent and his 2 teenage daughters were stopped. The man begged the soldiers to pass since he was in rush to the hospital. He was so upset his hands shook, and complained this happens everyday. Only after a phone to the Humanitarian Center in Bet El and our protest he was let go. A man who said the car belongs to his brother, and the TV is registered on his wife’s name, but still the men took his ID. Apparently the tax collectors were willing to some dialogue so he would pay. Qalandiya:Traffic was very heavy around the checkpoint. Soldiers would not let cars pass in certain routes. People were let in through the checkpoint efficiently, though the checkpoint was closed that morning between 6 and 7 AM, and the day before for 5 hours, we were told. We had to speak with the commander of the checkpoint after the soldiers would not let pass an ambulance on its way to a patient in Anata. The commander, a major in reserve contacted the soldiers immediately, and seemed kind.However, classes of schoolchildren who were on their way to the zoo had to go a large distance to take their buses, since due to the mess buses were not let in. Several youngsters, who were hoping to visit their friends in Hebron, went back after they were told they would not be able to pass through Qalandiya on the way back.