Qalandiya, Mon 12.8.13, Afternoon

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Place: 
Tags: 
Observers: 
Haba B, Daniella G., Maya BH (reproting), Gail (guest)
Aug-12-2013
|
Afternoon
During about 90 minutes hundreds of people pass into Jerusalem, 
courtesy of the generous permit policy during the Ramadan month.

15:15 The parking lot on the Palestinian side is packed. A friendly 
guy offers us a spot on the sidewalk near the CP entrance, and even drives 
it up there for us. The line at the turnstiles occasionally moves in, but 
new people join, so that it is more or less constant at several dozen.
4 gatesinfo-icon are open, but not the humanitarian gate, although the corwd has a 
fair share of women. We timed passage for an individual at about 30 
minutes.
Cab drivers stand on the Palestinian side calling out for riders. They 
will take them into Israel ("Tel Aviv Yafo!! Tel Aviv Yafo!") for an 
admitedly (by them) inflated price of 100 NIS a passenger -- but save them 
the time and humiliation of passing the Qalandia CP. Today this service 
ends, as the Ramadan permits were limited in time and come to an end.
When we left, we entered a long line for passing vehicles, but it moved 
along. We were held up for a while, because Canadian Gail could not 
produce an Israeli ID. She offered her passport instead, and the 
skeptical soldier sniffed at it, insisting he needs to see ... her 
Isaeli ID.