Ar-Ram, Qalandiya, Tues. 30.05.06 p.m.Observers: Ophra B, Snait G (reporting)Ar-Ram. There was little vehicular traffic from the checkpoint of new concrete blocks on the road of Dahya el Barid. We travelled in a sherut to Qalandiya. There was an average amount of traffic in the direction to Ramallah, less in the opposite direction. There were practically no people. The process of flattening out the land in every direction around the checkpoint continues. At the new checkpoint for cars, they are preparing an inspection point for i.d.’s only and in the functioning checkpoint point, they check cars and freight. At this hour, there were not many people going in. At the checkpoint for cars coming from the Jerusalem area, there was a line of cars, and there they were checking i.d.’s We were not allowed to stand in the area of the checkpoint itself. In the outer area near the entry to the checkpoint for pedestrians, which separates the parking area for cars , there were people waiting for buses 18 and 78 which were taking people in two directions, to Qalandiya from Jerusalem and its neighborhoods and from Qalandiya to the opposite directions. According to one of them, the trip takes over an hour, but it takes much longer to cross through the checkpoint in the morning.The checkpoint is very difficult for pedestrians to get through, especially around 6:30 and for about 2 hours following. People coming from the direction of Jerusalem through the checkpoint cannot take passengers in their cars. They must get out and wait for them as they cross through the checkpoint for pedestrians. There is no proper place to wait for them.We returned by sherut to the concrete blocks of Dahya el Barid. From conversations with supermarket owners there we learned that there has been a decrease of 65% in customers and in the amounts that they are buying this year in comparison to last year. They buy primarily only the most basic needs. The passageway for people going to Dahya el Barid was quiet because until a short while ago, it was totally blocked. The border police at the checkpoint did not allow us to stand there. They had a list of residents and their families who were allowed to pass through. Only those who are permitted may go to and from the neighborhood, as well as people with foreign passports and Israeli citizens. Thus is the enclosure process completed from all sides and the movements of all the residents are scrutinized so that they will not be able to use the passage to Jerusalem and the neighborhoods in that direction. We returned at 6:15 and saw on the way the “children of Aya” who were trying to sell their goods in the intersection. They asked about her. .