Ar-Ram, Qalandiya, Sun. 11.06.06 p.m.Observers: Netanya G, Phyllis W., Tamar F.(reporting)On our way to Jerusalem at 2:15, Noah Y called us and brought us up to date on the difficult situation at the Qalandiya checkpoint and asked that when we got there that we would assist Nawal, a woman at the end of her ninth month of pregnancy who requested a permit to be with her husband who has a green i.d. so that he can be with her when she gives birth.We rushed straight away to Qalandiya. When we arrived, there were around 50 people in the one lane that was open (number 3). The Palestinians at the checkpoint said that between 12:00 and 2:30, the checkpoint was not operative (stop the normal living procedure) and when it started operating again, the checking was especially slow. Netanya stayed in the area of checking and Phyllis and I went into the waiting room of the DCL (the continuation of lane 5). The Palestinians there said that Nawal went into the office minutes before we arrived. The meanwhile, Phyllis “set up shop” and started to fill out the forms for GSS refusniks who turned to her for help and called to Dahlia Bassa in order to get a permit for a man whose daughter was having severe labor pains and her father wanted to be with her during birth at the hospital. The daughter was supposed to undergo treatment in the hospital. Nawal came up to us when she received the answer “come again tomorrow”, even though in the morning, Yael S who then dealt with the situation was told that the permits are ready. We called the DCL, to Ophir and to Moran who were filling in for Dahlia, but nothing helped. We quoted from the medical reports on the need for the husband to be with his wife during birth and emphasized that Nawal was in a high risk pregnancy, was suffering from diabetes and there are four little children in her home. They repeated that “she should come tomorrow”.Meanwhile, in the lane for checking at the checkpoint, Netanya witnessed tens of people who were crowded in front of the turnstile for 40 minutes, the soldier who was responsible for checking spoke only Hebrew — a fact which led to misunderstandings and confusion among those being checked. A young boy of two who went ahead of his mother got caught in the midst of the turnstile and for several minutes, both the child and his mother were panic stricken until someone freed the turnstile. Netanya’s efforts to get in touch with the soldier by means of the intercom came to nothing and she tried, every few minutes, to call Ophir at the DCL and get him to help. The above mentioned soldier became enraged when one of the passing Palestinians grinned at her via the window. The boy was detained and taken to an inner room which is hidden from outside and only after 20 minutes was he freed and sent on his way. Later on (perhaps because of the complaints to the DCL or perhaps not), the soldier was replaced by a soldier who spoke Arabic and simultaneous, a separate lane was open for those with blue i.d.’s and the pressure let up within minutes. At 5:00, a demonstration on the northern side of the checkpoint began against the wall and the deaths in Gaza, and tens of Palestinians together with the ISM shouted slogans, carried banners, and gathered opposite the checkpoint for vehicles. The border police and DCL people were present in larger numbers than the demonstrators, because many of the people were watching the Mondial and came to the demonstration later.Ar-Ram checkpoint. After 6:00, the pedestrian crossing was totally empty and there were only 3 vehicles which were checked quickly. Today, Monday, we were in telephone contact with Nawal who went to the DCL at 11:30. After waiting for 3 hours, she finally got the permit.