Ar-Ram, Qalandiya Tuesday, 6.7.04, PMNora O., Aya K., Efrat S., Roni H.(reports)Guest: Christopher S., British filmmakerAr-Ram We arrived at 16:00 and found 8 detainees. They were picked up by the border police at Ar-Ram junction, which is Jerusalem territory (to remind you, theroad from Ar-Ram to Qalandiya is Jerusalem territory) and taken to Ar-Ramcheckpoint because of illegally staying in Jerusalem!! They were alreadywaiting 1 – 2 hours and one policeman filled out various forms very slowly.At 16:30 the first detainee was released and sent back, at 16:55 the secondone. We called Safadi, who immedialtely intervened and from then on ittook only 5 minutes to perform the bureaucratic records. If we neededanother example for the absurdity of the c.p. – here it is: because of theexistence of a legal loop, people can be caught in the heart of an Arabneighborhood on their way to another Arab neighborhood (Bir Naballah) and beaccused of illegal presence in Jerusalem! They are detained for a couple ofhours, body checked, interrogated and made to sign forms which mightincriminate them and in the end they are sent back to exactly where theycame from!! How does this pure harrassment contribute to security?!On our way to Qalandiya and back we payed a solidarity visit in the protesttent of the hunger strikers against the building of the wallQalandiya Heavy traffic of cars and pedestrians. Cars have a wait of 30 – 40 minutes, pedestrians pass swiftly. One detainee from Tul Karem is released soonafter our arrival. Only very few people with Palestinian IDs and withoutpermits try to pass – they have probably given up.Several pseople tell us that at midday the soldiers have thrown stones atpedestrians and cars from the tower overseeing the roundabout of Qalandiyasquare. Absurd role reversal!