Rihan, Tuesday, 26.4.05, a.m Observers: Joy H. , Miriam L. , Tammi S. (reporting)9:30 – 11:30 Closure – Passage is through Barta’a only.A fellow from Nazareth, who works for the American university in Jenin, and who always go through the checkpoint with a permit, issued by the IDF central command, is not allowed to go into the west bank, neither from Jalama nor from Rihan.We saw for the first time a female soldier, who is a dog trainer, training a puppy ‘on the job training’, which causes the inspection process to take longer. A Palestinian standing near me says it reminds him of scenes from movies about Nazi Germany.There is a ban for Israelis to enter the west bank at times of closure. The reason for that order is unclear to us.At the pedestrians passage, we see two detainees carrying two large bags, They are taken inside the terminal (the first time for me to watch something like that), and we can’t see the inspection. In a short while they get out and return to the west bank.A fellow, who is known to us, arrives in a car with a young fellow from Jenin, who looks sick. The driver waves a paper from a Doctor from Barta’a, who had examined the sick fellow and order an emergency hospitalization in Jenin. The c/p Commander stops the car to inspect the fellow’s papers. It turns out that he is an illegal alien who worked in Barta’a. The inspection goes on and on. The sick fellow gets out of the car and collapses . Drivers from other vehicles get out and start screaming. We, too raise our voices in favor of expediting the inspection. After all It takes one telephone call. Things heat up and soldiers order the drivers to get back to their cars. It feels as if things are on the verge of an explosion. An IDF ambulance was called in, it arrived, but we don’t know as to what was done to help the sick fellow.At that point I called the DCO and was lucky to get through immediately. I reported what was happening and he said he’ll take care of it at once. Indeed the vehicle was allowed in, a Palestinian ambulanced was called and took the patient to the hospital. That was a perfect example of mishandling of a situation. A combination of an unskilled commander and his insecurity, had brought the situation to the verge of an explosion.