07:10 - 09:30   
Translation: Devorha K.

07:10 Rihan-Barta'a
The men and women laborers who go to work early have already gone through and been driven away. There is a slow stream of people who arrive from the direction of the West Bank on their way to the seamline zone; all of them are happy with the rhythm of the passage.

At the entrance to the 'sleeve' near the upper parking lot, a new gate with a lock is being put up. The CP is spick and span and even the ditch between the fences has been cleaned.

In the vehicle CP three transits with goods are being inspected (numbers 4 to 6 for today) and another eight are waiting in the lower parking lot. A new shed has been built for the drivers who wait while their vehicles are being inspected in the closed off area.

At the opening of the terminal on the side of the seamline zone, there sit two young boys who are being held because they do not have documents. They are from Kabatiya and were working in Barta'a, but yesterday a fight broke out among people in Barta'a and at night the fellows from Kabatiya were beaten, wounded and banished. The experienced adults explain to the young fellows that they will be given the runaround for an hour or two, and then they will let them go through. After about 30 minutes, we saw that one of them had already gone through and the second one was not sitting near the entrance any more.

Boys (aged about 20) who were going through with their fathers to the seamline zone, were separated from the fathers in the terminal. The fathers went through immediately and the sons were delayed and inspected in the inspection rooms.

07:30 Many people arrive from the seamline zone, because of the expulsion from Barta'a. The passage is quick, 5-10 minutes.
 A woman student from Barta'a who wanted to go to the university in Jenin went back home in tears because she learned that the people from Kabatiya would not let her through to Jenin.

08:05 At the vehicle CP the three transits are released after an inspection of about an hour, and three other vehicles are called for inspection. This time the inspection is faster and at 8:30 and again at 09:00 three additional cars enter.
 
In the Palestinian parking lot there is a lot of noise; the Kabatiya - Barta'a fight has reached the CP. Everybody is fighting with everybody else and a long queue of people gathers at the gate to the terminal.

One of the drivers who has a permit to transport goods in his car has a new vehicle; He claims that all the records have been confirmed and all the necessary documents are in order, and still he has been waiting for a permit for his new car for several weeks and there is no progress. He appealed to the DCO with the help of the Head of the Local Council but that did not work either. In the meantime, he has no means of earning a livelihood.  

At the parking lot we met a pair of worried parents from a village near Jenin.They were waiting for their son who is ill and needs to be hospitalized; he is supposed to be returning from Barta'a without appropriate papers. They asked us to talk to the person responsible for the CP so that the fellow will not be delayed, but after we waited for 20 minutes in vain, we went down into the 'sleeve' and tried to talk to the military policeman at the inspection post. Since he is not allowed to come up to us, we negotiated with him by yelling. The fellow did reach him and he was let through immediately.
This again raises the question: who are we supposed to talk to when we encounter a humanitarian problem, now that the Ministry of Defense is resopnsible for the CP?

At 09:30, we left. 

0900 - 0935
Translated by L. Williams
At the Rihan CP everything is wonderful, perfect.
The security guards are wearing clean uniforms, the dogs are highly trained.
The Palestinians do not bother anybody. At this time of day, there is practically no demand to pass through from here to there. If that is the case, the taxi drivers have no chance to make money during this period of time, and that is also wonderful. Why should they work so hard? Let them rest a bit.
Two pickup trucks with agricultural goods will be going through in a little while, they will certainly go through. If they did not have a good chance of going through they would not be here at all.
We brought three bicycles, one for Walid and two for the children of Bashar from Yaabed. They must think that all the Jewish women are sweet.
We bought some stuffed vegetables from Fatma and promised all of them that we will look for bicycles for their children as well.
We left just as we had come.
On the way home we went in to drink coffee at Nabil's place in the shade of the jocaranda and we had a pleasant conversation as if the edge of the shade is the edge of the world.

Translation: L. Williams

07:00 Tayasir Checkpoint

Completely empty, not even soldiers to be seen.

After a few minutes cars begin to arrive from both directions. The soldiers emerge slowly and everyone passes.

From the direction of Tubas, shirts must be lifted, the passengers go where they are supposed to, pass on foot, then wait for the cars to collect them.

The paucity of cars shows that people avoid passing this checkpoint. Only with no other choice do they cross here. We heard this from many passers by at Hamra.

08:00 Hamra Checkpoint

A group of teachers are waiting for the taxi that brought them. They tell of the difficulties at Tayasir, and other checkpoints that are particularly bad. For example, Ein Deuk, where comers from Jordan are sent. It is a nuisance and necessitates a circuit instead of straight to Hamra.

A woman with four children receives from us bicycles for the kids - and the joy is great.

Yellow inscriptions standing out on the concrete slabs of the checkpoint proclaim: "God is King." The battalion is "Eternity of Judea" and the company "Maccabim" 97 - and other slogans carved in the concrete: "Holy Animals," "Honour to Eternity."

Immediately upon arrival a soldier comes over to us and offers cold water, and then another joins him and asks what are out purposes. He doesn't know MachsomWatch, only asks that we add to our tags "no to Katyushas [rockets]." Doesn't wait for answer and walks off in anger. Another soldier who stayed to talk sees justice in punishing Palestinians who make trouble, and when we argue against, he says "it's not us, it's the police." We have never see police at Hamra, but we have often seen detainees."

"When will we be without checkpoints?" says a young Palestinian painfully, and another answers: "Someday it will be okay." Yet another comes over to show us permits from Judea and Samaria DCO for passage for two cars that he owns, but they won't let him through because he lives in Tamoun. If he would live in Jericho, there would be a possibility of crossing. He trades together with his children. From the multitude of prohibitions and restrictions we are also confused, don't understand why if this is the case were the permits given? But he has learnt to manage. He gives the cars to somebody from Jericho who passes them through.

The soldiers see and know - but he, who occasionally passes three times a day cannot take them through.

At the checkpoint itself, people and cars crossing quickly, without delays.

09:20 we leave.

07:00 Tayasir Checkpoint
Completely empty, not even soldiers to be seen.
After a few minutes cars begin to arrive from both directions. The soldiers emerge slowly and everyone passes.
From the direction of Tubas, shirts must be lifted, the passengers go where they are supposed to, pass on foot, then wait for the cars to collect them.
The paucity of cars shows that people avoid passing this checkpoint. Only with no other choice do they cross here. We heard this from many passers by at Hamra.
08:00 Hamra Checkpoint
A group of teachers are waiting for the taxi that brought them. They tell of the difficulties at Tayasir, and other checkpoints that are particularly bad. For example, Ein Deuk, where comers from Jordan are sent. It is a nuisance and necessitates a circuit instead of straight to Hamra.
A woman with four children receives from us bicycles for the kids – and the joy is great.
Yellow inscriptions standing out on the concrete slabs of the checkpoint proclaim: "God is King." The battalion is "Eternity of Judea" and the company "Maccabim" 97 – and other slogans carved in the concrete: "Holy Animals," "Honour to Eternity."
Immediately upon arrival a soldier comes over to us and offers cold water, and then another joins him and asks what are out purposes. He doesn’t know MachsomWatch, only asks that we add to our tags "no to Katyushas [rockets]." Doesn’t wait for answer and walks off in anger. Another soldier who stayed to talk sees justice in punishing Palestinians who make trouble, and when we argue against, he says "it’s not us, it’s the police." We have never see police at Hamra, but we have often seen detainees."
"When will we be without checkpoints?" says a young Palestinian painfully, and another answers: "Someday it will be okay." Yet another comes over to show us permits from Judea and Samaria DCO for passage for two cars that he owns, but they won’t let him through because he lives in Tamoun. If he would live in Jericho, there would be a possibility of crossing. He trades together with his children. From the multitude of prohibitions and restrictions we are also confused, don’t understand why if this is the case were the permits given? But he has learnt to manage. He gives the cars to somebody from Jericho who passes them through.
The soldiers see and know – but he, who occasionally passes three times a day cannot take them through.
At the checkpoint itself, people and cars crossing quickly, without delays.
09:20 we leave.