Qalandiya, Friday April 28, 2006 AM Observers: Rita M., Tirza L.Anata checkpoint. 8.00 – A long line of cars, when we were there. They arrive, are checked, and then pass. This is the first time we see that pedestrians pass through a corridor, or ‘sleeve”, the path that is fenced in, and leads to a turnstile, where pedestrians going to the direction of Jerusalem are checked. There are two soldiers at the beginning of the fenced corridor, who tell people to walk through the “sleeve”. In general, there are many soldiers, compared to previous times, about 10 at the checkpoint itself. Another jeep and about three soldiers are higher up on the hill. A huge pile of garbage is burning on the hill. There are two detainees at the checkpoint, one was there already when we arrived, and the second was caught when he tried to pass higher up on the hill. Two police cars arrive. A police officer gives instructions to a soldier how to fill out certain reports. We hear them say that they will return at 10.30 to collect the reports. Qalandiya 8.30 – We drove on the eastern side of the wall. We part at the of the parkinglot near the checkpoint, it was still possible for us to pass here, with difficulty, through a small opening in the eastern side, towards the pedestrian checkpoint, the “terminal” The terminal is completely deserted, nobody was there when we entered. At the car checkpoint there was a line of about 10 cars before the first barrier. Four additional cars are waiting between the first barrier and the actual checkpoint. We calculated the waiting time of the cars arriving at the checkpoint – (when there are no passengers, who must pass through the pedestrian terminal) – 10 minutes. Only one lane is open. At the first barrier, a soldier is standing outside the booth, and, when necessary, talks with the drivers. We does not use an amplifier. A car arrives with a passenger who is lying in his seat, with the back of the seat all the way down, who seems to be ill. The drivers is asked to explain how the passenger is related to him, otherwise the passenger would have to get out of his car and pass through the pedestrian terminal. He shows a doctor’s report and explains that the man is ill. The soldier lets both of them through in the car. In another car are two women. The passengers next to the driver must get out and pass through the terminal.We return to the terminal in order to go back to Jerusalem. All the turnstiles have red lights, and the soldier is not activating them. People are waiting. We ask the soldier to open the window, and ask for an explanation. He says that he received orders from the DCO not to let us – machsomwatch women – through. We ask that first of all he should let the others pass. He opens for the others. We explain to him about the agreement in principle that we have to pass through the terminal, and that it is a pity to just waste the time of all of us on the matter. etc. He stands his ground: he received the order from Oleg from the Matak not to open for us. We call many different numbers on our pages – but noone answers. In the end, we get Noam from the DCO on the line, who says he will clarify the matter. After about a quarter of an hour and several returning calls to Noam, the soldier finally opens the gate for us. At the next turnstile, there is only one lane open. There is no lane for women. The line becomes longer – 10,20,30 people arrive, and the light is red – no passing. People wait 3,4 minutes, and nobody goes through. There is no sign of life in the soldiers’ booth, and the line becomes longer. We return to the first soldier – what is going on? In one minute the light turns green. The order through the speakers are at full volume, hurting the ears “Wahad wahad – one by one”. Then a shout through the microphone –pass through the ‘makina’ – (with which the conveyer belt is meant, to check bags). The line becomes longer. After each person who passes, there is a time when nobody is let through – dead time – when the turnstile is locked, even though nobody is being checked. people just wait, and the line becomes longer. An old man with a walking stick, who seems blind, approaches, accompanied by a woman. He goes to the front of the line and passes through the turnstile. Is caught in it. In the end the soldiers open it and he passes, but alone, as they do not let more than one person at a time through. He goes slowly to the checking window, the soldier demands an ID, he does not understand, and the ID is not with him, but with the woman, who is still waiting behind the turnstile. Rita, who managed to pass before him, leads him to return to the turnstile to get the ID from the woman. in the meantime, they again make problems for Rita –they do not let women from machsomwatch through. I, in the meantime, call Noam again at the DCO. To open another lane. After two minutes, another lane is opened, and they let both Rita and me through. On our return to Jerusalem, we are again checked at the Ar-Ram checkpoint.