'Azzun 'Atma, Mon 6.2.12, Morning
06:35 Freezing cold. The Palestinians who are already waiting outside complain that they arrived at 3 AM and they only just now went through and everything takes a long time. There are about 60 people in line, only 2 inspection booths; the line is very dense, maybe so people can warm up.
A Palestinian vehicle arrives from the Israeli side, not clear where it is coming from, maybe it belongs to someone who lives in the houses opposite the checkpoint on the "Israeli" side of the wall. The passage through of individuals is quick, but the huge number of people needing to go through requires several additional inspection booths. The soldier says that they add more booths when it is raining - but why not every day? With 2 inspectors, does not matter how efficient they are, people stand a long time in line. We timed one person, and it took 50 minutes from his arrival until his exit. And that is at present, when the line is not so long; in the morning, there are many more people crowding together from fear that they will not succeed in getting through on time. The line does not decrease, as more people keep coming.
07:10 School children and adults arrive to get to their businesses in the village or elsewhere in Palestine. The gate opens and they go through. The gate also opens continually for workers who already passed through and need to return to get their tools, which have to pass another inspection by hand.
07:20 The line begins to shorten and whoever arrives a bit later naturally gets through faster. There are still workers waiting outside for their transportation. That is, they arrived much earlier so as not to miss their rides, and now, of course, they need to wait again. What torture.
We returned on the road along the wall, in the direction of Oranit. On one side, many flowering anenomes, white and red, almond trees, the pastoral vision of the spring is already celebrating; on the other side is the wall, threatening and blocking movement. The Tamar Gate is closed and there is no one around.
For technical reasons, our shift was short.