Afternoon

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T.Sh.,Ch.B.,N.E.,S.A.
Dec-29-2003
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Afternoon

Qalandiya and A-Ram checkpoints, Monday afternoon, 29 Dec 03.MachsomWatch Observers: T.Sh., Ch.B., N.E., S.A. A-Ram checkpoint:A policeman is writing traffic tickets to taxi drivers - the fine varies between 250-500 NIS. Whoever doesn't want to pay the fine is invited to appear in court - so that there is not really any choice here. The drivers tell us that this phenomenon repeats itself every day recently. Qalandiya checkpoint:Today there are no commercial stands on the northern side; it seems they have thrown them out. Long lines of pedestrians; Also a long line of vehicles, but the waiting time for both lines is relatively short. At the checkpoint - as was reported in yesterday's report - there are soldiers from the Military Police unit. Their relationship to the population is generally proper and restrained.There is a senior officer there called "Kodkod", and he pays attention to our various requests and allows passage of people even without a permit. Two volunteers, who apparently consider themselves "experts" in the detection of forged certificates are working enthusiastically and censor a lot of permits that are "clearly forgeries" in their eyes. Kodkod checks again and allows some of them to pass and even gives back "forged" papers that have been confiscated.Many Palestinians complain about the loss of their identity documents at the checkpoint after they are taken from them.Kfir, the checkpoint commander, readily admits that a soldier named Janet did in fact lose a passport that she had taken; concerning other documents which disappeared, he suggests renewing them at the Beit El DCO [civil administration office] and no, he is not ready to give a letter confirming that the document was lost at the checkpoint.When we return to A-Ram, we are happy to see that there are no people detained and the traffic is moving.The cold is quite cruel, we return frozen.