Jalama, Shaked gate, Rihan, Sunday, June 12, 2005, AMObservers: Ana N-S., Neta G. (reporting)Jalama – 06:05 – 06:20 There is a closure due to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The sleeve is vacant and closed. The Palestinians must have known ahead of time about the closure. The waiting shed is empty and workers don’t show up.The vehicle inspection post is staffed. Soldiers say that they will allow passage of vehicles only for humanitarian causes.One man waits for a relative who is due to arrive from Jenin, for medical care in Israel. He says that all has been coordinated. At this time the soldiers couldn’t tell whether the back-to-back CP would open for transfer of goods.Shaked gate 07:05 – 07:45 Both gates are closed and locked. An old woman stands on the seam line side (Israel) together with her nephew and his son. A number of people wait on the West Bank side of the gate. At exactly 7:15 (as we were told last week) the soldiers arrive and open the gates. The family and a few other people go through to the West Bank. And other people, on the opposite side, with the proper permits, go into the seam line zone. We gave a lift to a woman from the village of Tura, and her two children, who went to visit her sister at Um al-Rihan.Rihan, 08:00 – 09:00On our way to the CP we noticed the makeshift signs on the road: “One lane for the military and residents of Hermesh and Mevo Dotan” and the second lane: “Palestinians and Israelis” (we were surprised to learn that resident of Hermesh and Mevo Dotan weren’t Israelis…)There are 2 detainees inside the pen and they are released in a short while. At the pedestrian passage, all have the proper permits. Closure does not affect residents of the seam-line zone, who hold permits to go to the West Bank or return home.A woman from Jenin without a passage permit wants to see her sister, who lives in west Barta’a. The CP commander allows them to see each other at the pedestrian passage.Vehicle passage is swift;occasionally the line grows to 6-8 cars.Israeli Arabs can’t go to the West Bank due to the closure. Two Israelis wanted to attend a funeral in the village of Ya’abed, but were denied passage.The female commander, L., takes a photo of the child who sells coffee and plays with him. Later she says that pretty soon he’ll become an Israeli and adds that we should be careful with him, because who knows what they teach him at home.