Rihan, Saturday, 29.7.06 PMObservers: Dania C, Noah L (reporting)15:30 – 17:30Busy traffic at the checkpoint, busier than we have seen in a long time. Many pedestrians in both directions, line of cars waiting in the direction of the West Bank, parking lots crowded on both sides, and only a small number of cars into Israel. Commodities were entering this morning, and were stopped at noon by orders from above, so we are told.A man coming out of the terminal in the direction of the seam zone tells us that they are waiting in the sun more than an hour. We measure a quarter of an hour wait to enter the terminal and about seven minutes to pass through it.Alongside the passageway in the direction of the West Bank a line is growing. We go over. A mother of six (all ages) none of whom speak Hebrew or English (and, regretfully, we don’t speak Arabic): the oldest daughter is 19 but does not have an ID card. According to the mother the girl is listed in the father’s ID, and he has stayed behind to work in northern Israel. Now they are not being allowed through. Our phone calls to the DCO, plus a taxi driver who speaks Hebrew whom the mother summoned from the parking lot as interpreter, debate with the soldiers – and finally, after an hour and a half, the family crosses in its entirety.A 16 year old with (according o him) his three small brothers, want to cross back into the West Bank to Aanin. The DCO contends that they are known, and cannot pass without their parents. Finally the 16 year old goes through and the small brothers turn with plenty of self confidence and go back to the seam zone.The few cars coming from the West Bank are checked quickly.In the direction of the West Bank, the line of vehicles is long: they are checked including passengers and continue on their way. Suddenly, a surprise: five polished and festive cars with orange (Israeli) plates. One of them is decorated with ribbons and flowers and is bearing the bride dressed in white, with family in all the others. What? No closure? Israeli Arabs are permitted to enter the West Bank? Turns out that they got a special permit for five days of celebration of the marriage, but at the checkpoint they are delayed until… just to grind away at the nerve ends. We try to help, but they say they will manage by themselves. We give a few phone numbers, wish them “mabruk” and drive home. We hope they got to their destination on time.Something different, more loaded, more tense, more short tempered, at today’s checkpoint. Perhaps these are reservists who are not familiar with the checkpoint, perhaps we are more on edge, perhaps it’s the situation… But by comparison with the last two weeks of sights of Lebanon, and to differ from bombarded Haifa, this checkpoint suddenly seems like utopia: here at least we are talking to each other.