Jalama Wednesday, 4/8/2004 Observers: Snait A., Shlomit R., Dalit Y. (reporting), a guest Jalama, 7:00. As soon as we get out of the car, a Palestinian woman, who has already crossed the checkpoint, approaches us and asks whether she could use our telephone: The contractor didn’t come to pick up her and her friends. They call, using my cellular phone, and thank us. The checkpoint commander appears somewhat reserved, but we locate the female soldier A. who we know, and hear from her and from another friendly soldier that the new unit has decided to open the gate an hour earlier, at 5:00 AM, so that people will have a chance to cross earlier. Good news; and indeed the line is shorter (maybe 10 people) and there are very few trucks.An aggressive Seam Line volunteer points at us and tells us to stay away and not to talk to anyone. He is not particularly courteous to the Palestinians as well, and we wonder what is his contribution to this place.We talk with the waiting Palestinians. Major A.,the lieutenant battalion commander, approaches us. He’s very friendly, and wants to cooperate with us. A few Palestinians with valid but temporary passage permits are delayed for questioning, and ask for his assistance. He checks the papers, consults with the female soldier A., and allows them to pass. We are very satisfied, but we do wonder why the DCO representatives never arrive before 9:00 or 10:00 o’clock if the checkpoint opens at 5:00.We see the owner of the cart who works as a porter at the checkpoint and who for 2 weeks now is not allowed in with his cart due to a warning oftransferring explosive in such a cart. Major A. says that if the porterwill use a supermarket cart without handles, in which one can see through, he’ll let him pass at the checkpoint. The porter, who lives inJalama, runs home and brings a shopping cart. He is granted permission by the checkpoint commander (the lieutenant battalion commander has already moved on his way) and is back to work. We’ve succeeded!A number of workers from the Tulkarm area approach us. They complain that they have to go north as far as Jalama and from there go south to work; passing through the checkpoints at Taibeh or Barta’a could save them time. Shaddy from the DCO answers: “That the way it is.” Its logic is unclear. He says that the seam line passages are not used for entrance to Israel. And why the back-to-back commercial checkpoint is closed at 14:00 while the checkpoint is still open? Shady promises to clarify it and get back to us. In the meantime, there are almost no people waiting. Checkpoint CP 250, 8:30. Despite a certain tension the checkpoint is open for crossing. We ask why it opens only at 7:00 when the Jalama checkpoint is opened much earlier. The soldiers answer that they operate that way to regulate the pressure, but admit that there are not many vehicle that stop at 250. Apparently, all the rest find bypassing roads to get to Jalama.9:00, back to Jalama and from there home. There are no people waiting in line. The soldiers ask us if we are not afraid.It was an easy satisfying shift.