Jalama Sunday, 11/7/2004 Observers: Anna N., Sarit R., Neta G (reporting), a guest 7:10. There are a few gas tankers in the trucks lot. Minibuses and cabs for laborers are waiting on the road; their movement is especially slow today. In front of the electronic gate, there are two organized lines, one of approximately 50 men and the other of approximately 20 women. A man is called, then a woman is called and so on; the line is moving slowly. Approximately seventy additional men are standing in an unorganized manner, and they approach the checking table that serves as another pathway. Commander Av. (new) is not willing to begin passing people before they move backward and form an organized line. He promises that if they wait in an organized line, he will bring an additional checking table. We try to help organizing the line, without much success. 7:30. Officer Ay. arrives, and the line begins to get organized. 7:45. An additional table is brought. As we have requested, the first one to pass through is a man with a kidney transplant who is invited for a checkup in Rambam hospital. 8:00. The women line ends.The Palestinians appoint an organizer from among themselves; an officer is called to help (during his rest). The Military Police, the soldiers and the officers all work together. The laborers and the merchants begin to pass through at a sufficient pace. Meanwhile, an approximately ten-car long line of long cargo trucks and a few pickup trucks has formed in front of the entrance to the lot. 8:45. The pedestrian line has gotten much shorter, and the truck line is gone. CP 250. 9:00. Following the attack in Tel Aviv this morning, the cars at the CP are checked. It is rapid, and there is no line. 9:20. We come back to Jalama CP. All the laborers and merchants have crossed, aside from two who have no magnetic card, but only a request for a card. The officer phones the DCO, but does not let them pass. The tables are cleared, and the few Palestinians who arrive are checked and pass through the electronic gate. 9:30. Officer Ai. invites us to have a conversation with him in his bunker. According to him, there is no way to open the CP before 6:00 or 6:15, because the Military Police and the woman soldier do not arrive before then. Also, because of a lack of manpower it is not possible to open immediately three lanes for passing. We try to think together of an arrangement that would organize the line and make passing through efficient for both sides. Unfortunately, we do not succeed. We inquire about the portable water tank that was promised two weeks ago, and we are told that the water tank is being disinfected and will be here either this afternoon or tomorrow. 10:00. We leave the CP. Approximately ten laborers who were late for their transportations, due to having been delayed, are waiting for an alternate ride.Later I speak with S. from the DCO. According to him there is no point of opening Jalama CP earlier because CP 250 opens at 7:00 only. He promises to look into a more efficient organization of the line and to make sure the water tank is fixed here. He hopes that with the conclusion of the building construction on the CP site (at an unknown date) crossing will occur much faster.