Rihan, Shaked, Aanin, Monday, May 29, 2006, AMObservers: Anna N. S., Neta J. (reporting)06.10-09.15Rihan, 06.10 – 07.35Near the parking lot on the side of the seam zone some taxis are waiting, but to our surprise, passengers who are usually hurrying to work at this hour of the day do not arrive. We go down the sleeve to the opening of the terminal and do not meet anybody on our way. About 50 men and women are crowded into the passage to the gate on the Palestinian side and they are not called upon to go through. The responses to our questions range from “there’s pressure inside” to “changing shifts”. After some time, pedestrians begin to go through again, but especially slowly. The people are called up in groups of five and men and women alternate in going through. We measured the time it took to go through: 25 minutes from the call to enter until exit from the terminal.The soldier in the hut, who calls people to enter in fives, says that today the process is especially slow. He works according to the instructions that he gets from inside the terminal. When we left, there were still about 20 people waiting on the other side of the gate. It’s astounding how quiet people who are in a hurry to get to work just stand and wait. At the vehicle CP they were busy inspecting a pickup truck loaded with agricultural produce.Shaked, 07.45 – 08.00The gates are open. The last of the people who want to go through get here at this time.Aanin, 08.15 – 09.15We got there before the soldiers, who come from Shaked on the network road. About a dozen people want to go back to Aanin, and at the same time, they begin to let those with permits go through to the seam zone.At 08.30 The soldiers arrive and open the three gates in the wall. They let those coming back to Aanin go through very quickly. At the same time they begin to allow those who have permits for the seam zone to go through.Dozens of people – many men, women and children – go through. The school year has ended and the children are going through with their parents. Some of them to help with the agricultural work, and others, in holiday dress, to visit family. Young boys go through without their parents.People ask us to come every day when the Aanin CP is opened. We are embarrassed when they say that thanks to us, the passage is proceeding in an orderly fashion.09.15 – they have all gone through. The soldiers lock the gates and we leave.