Qalqilyia Monday, January 5, 2004 Fanny H., Estie S., Deborah L. We arrived at the checkpoint at about 7:30 am. We stood there a bit shocked since it was totally open–no lines of people, no lines of taxis, cars or trucks, and even more impressive, not a soldier in sight. The huge area which had been set up as a checkpoint with all the mowed down land, extensive fencing, blockades, and lookout towers was still there but serving no apparent purpose. We went up to a car with four Palestinian men in it and asked what was happening. They had huge smiles on their faces when they told us that since 10AM yesterday, Saturday, there was been no checkpoint. We moved on to the checkpoint on the way to Tzophin(Gate l037). There were 2 soldiers there checking the Palestinians that wanted to go to their land.( Israelis moved freely.) They told us that everyone who has a permit can pass through. We watched for awhile. A donkey pulled wagon came by with an older couple and boy inside. He checked their permits and they passed through. As they started up the road we started to talk to the soldier but he told us to wait a moment because he wanted to check where they were going. When they continued on the main road and didn’t turn off on the bumpy dirt path he shouted at them and insisted they get off that road. We asked in a well mannered fashion if there was a greater security danger for them to be on the main road instead of the dirt path. He told us it wasn’t an issue of security it was because he was told not to let them go on that road. He said they could take the road marked l037 which is the security road but it is much longer, or they can take the bumpy road which is a bit shorter then 1037 but more difficult, but they were not allowed on the main road which was the easiest and fastest way for them. One of the soldiers told us that there were some new checkpoints. One, he claimed, was up along the main road (55) where it meets the security road. We went out to look for it and went as far as Azun but didn’t find it. Azun was totally open to traffic at its northern entrance. The more southern entrance was still blocked . Deborah