Qalandiya, Ar-Ram 07.04.05, p.m.Observers: Edna K, Lia N (reporting)On our way to the Ar-Ram checkpoint, we met an icecream vendor, an Jerusalem Arab who told us a bit about his “routine” experiences, that are not connected to the occupation — that of Arabs in Israel. For example, he is required to post a high bond, 3 times that required of Jews, etc. That is just to remind us that “we are on the verge of ending the occupation”, but what will happen. The same problems will remain. At Ar-Ram, it was totally empty in both the car lane and the pedestrian lane. We proceeded along the wall that leads to Qalandiya. The market area on the southern side of the checkpoint is again thriving, amidst the dreadful neglect that continually worsens in the area. At the checkpoint, the congestion was something awful — worse than usual and when all of this happens within the confines of the plexiglas, which apparently was placed there in order to protect the Palestinians from stones thrown by their children, the feeling is even more suffocating. “Like animals, like animals” the men pushing in the line complain. It is hard for us to reach them, difficult for us to communicate, even when we try to pass through the line with everyone else in an effort to be more in contact. Anton repeatedly removes us from the line and forces us to pass through the gate which is reserved for special cases. The soldiers are very slow, short of temper. Two volunteers conduct affairs with a hard hand and seem to enjoy provoking us. The older one, for example, spoke to us repeatedly in Arabic because we love Arabs! We spoke to Anton about the crowded conditions and he explained that the crowding among the men is the result of wanting to speed things up in the humanitarian lane. There they opened three lanes. It appeared to us that everything is shoved together with no relation to the different lanes. We called Amos from operations –he is not a bad address for complaints. Perhaps he said something to Anton as he promised because there was a relative speeding up in the processing of the people. Mor, the commander of the checkpoint, was very harsh and rude both toward the Palestinians and toward us. One of the Palestinians said that he was going to register a complaint against her because she is totally insensitive. Again we turned to Amos regarding a young man who forgot his i.d. at home and he told Anton to check his i.d. in the computer (that is now at the checkpoint itself, something which could speed up dealing with such cases). Anton also agreed to allow a woman in advanced pregnancy to pass through the special gate, and there were other such cases. He is very stringent about regulations, but at least he manages affairs in a proper and courteous manner, which, in the final analysis makes him one of the more reasonable people there. At one point, we heard him report about “stone throwers from the wall”, and indeed, we saw that children put up a ladder that reached to the top of the wall and they were walking up there and throwing stones toward the barren hill on the “Israeli” side of the wall. We tried to warn them. Then, the situation quieted down, but later, three soldiers were standing in the area of the northern marketplace and apparently looked further inward. From time to time, we heard shots, but from what we heard, there were no injuries. That was just a matter of time.