Rihan, Saturday, 20.5.06 AM Observers: Danya C, Noah L (reporting)08:30 – 10:30 Little but steady traffic of people and vehicles, which picks up with time. Passage is relatively quick, 5-10 minutes for pedestrians, 15 for a vehicle, including the ritual dance at the checkpoint. As far as we could see, everyone passed.The checkpoint is reinforced by two seam line volunteers (at least that’s what they look like). One walks around proudly with his weapon at “load,’ at first greeting like that everyone coming out of the terminal, then roving around the whole checkpoint the same way. Quite frightening.At the heart of the checkpoint, in the central traffic square, lively activity: three Jewish families who want to get to a settlement, don’t continue but wait at the checkpoint for a security vehicle from Mevo Dotan. Packages and purses, a packed cake, children impatient with sitting in the car – but for the language, it would be difficult to differentiate between the people waiting. And, of course, the Jewish families know they will pass. Now a Border Police jeep arrives, a woman soldier descends and dispatches three Palestinians to the West Bank. We didn’t see where they came from. The seam line volunteer wanders around all of them, his carbine at the ready. More military vehicles arrive, one with a large white slogan painted on: “Other Race.” We’re missing a camera.We got three requests:1. A man sought help for his sister, who is prohibited from entry. He didn’t have the necessary details, so we left a phone number with him.2. A man suffering from his back asks help: he crosses almost every day and it’s hard for him to walk. He wants to get a permit to remain and be checked in his car. We recommended that he first gets a letter from his doctor, and then approaches the DCO. It’s also hard for him to get to the DCO. Does anyone have a better suggestion? We do have the means to contact him.3. The drivers in the Palestinian parking lot told us, in great excitement, about the gate that is locked at nine every evening at Yabed, completely preventing entry or exit with a vehicle until the morning. The gate is controlled by a soldier in the observation post, who threatens to shoot pedestrians as well. The village has been under this night curfew for three months.