'Anin, Jalama, Reihan, Shaked, Mon 7.9.09, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Bracha B-A. and Hana H.
Sep-7-2009
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Afternoon
Guests:Jhan Mattar, Susan, Virginia and Tomer from the European Union  delegation
 
14:00 - Jalama checkpoint.
Slow traffic on both directions, only 4 window are open and the rest of the terminal is closed. Outside an Israeli resident waits for guests from the West Bank and complains that they have been inside the terminal for more more than an hour.

The momentum of building and development at the checkpoint is tremendous.


At 14:30
  3 buses of prisoners' families  arrive on site, following  their visit in prison.


14:50- Aaneen checkpoint
Gate is still closed but there are already about 20 people waiting and next to them 6 tractors.
Precisely at 15:00 the gate opens, people line up and go through. One of them tries to transfer junk on his tractor. He claims that recently he was able to do so without any problems, today he is not allowed to do so. He argues with the soldiers, calls the DCO but to no avail. In the end he leaves the junk in an olive grove with a hope for better days. Another person tires to go through with a load of sacks for farming use along with cans of paint and roofing tiles for his home renovation- he too is sent back and turns to the olive grove to hide the tiles and the paint.

We've gotten "used" to such procedures, but the need to explain it to our guests proved once again, in a sharp way  the absurdity of the situation. Does one need to ask for  a special passage permit from the DCO to cross over through the Rihan checkpoint? Does one need to obtain a permit for transferring commercial quantities for that?


15:40 - Shaked checkpoint
4 cars full of passengers and parcels returning from Jenin.

15:50 - Rihan checkpoint
Cars with workers returning from Israel arrive on site and people enter the terminal in groups of 3-6 and get out immediately. Only one window is operational but its most efficient and speedy and there is no line  or crowding outside.

16:10 - We left.