Qalandiya, Sun 10.2.13, Afternoon

Translating: Ruth Fleishman

Pictures:

1. The checkpoint is closed

2. Today is Family Day

The right traffic lane at the vehicle checkpoint was closed to buses and from the entrance came three armed soldiers. With a rifle on the shoulder and a grenade in the hand they slowly walked, looking for kids who were throwing or planning to throw stone.

"Earlier there were about three kids that threw stones", people said.

But by then these children were not to be seen and no stones were being thrown. And in spit it, the passage remained closed and the soldiers kept walking back and forth for about half an hour. And the number of bus lanes was reduced, traffic became heavy and the usual traffic jam grew long and thick.

The fact that the closing of the lane before hundreds of people is nothing short of collective punishment, which is illegal, didn't bother any of the checkpoint commanders or the any of the men in uniforms who received reinforcement from police and BP forces.

While talking with some friends about the faith of Ahmed, the Falafel salesman whose trial is to commence in a couple of days, I was told that he was being accused of throwing stones, but that the date of event was not the day of his arrest. "The army tricked Ahmed", one person said and another added: "They can do anything, because this is occupation". I concurred. "Until you've lived for five days in the refugee camp, you can't understand what 'occupation' means", said H.

He is right.

Until you've lived for five days in the refugee camp, you can't understand what 'occupation' means. It's been five years since I've been to the other side of the wall.