PM

Qalandiya Sunday afternoon, 25.1.2004 Watchers: Tamar F., Phyllis W. (reporting) and a guest We reached A-Ram at about 1:30 PM and saw a short line of pedestrians and a very long line of cars waiting to cross. We arrived at Qalandiya CP just before “changing of the guard” as people began to return home from work. Commander of the CP was Uriel, lieutenant commander of the Military Police Unit stationed at the CP. Checking was thorough with passage allowed for holders of blue [Israeli] IDs, permit holders and people over 35. Attitude of the soldiers towards Palestinians was polite, with no undertones of brutality or violence. There were more than the usual number of IDF reservist volunteers, one of whom spoke Arabic fluently. The volunteers made an effort to allow women holding children in their arms pass as quickly as possible.Two young Palestinian men presenting documents showing they had been at a health clinic in Ramallah, were refused passage on the grounds that the documents were forged. We were given a long and detailed lecture on forged documents, but after some discussion, one of the men, whose document was less suspicious, was allowed to go home to Hizme. The other man, who seemed very distraught and apparently didn’t have enough money, was directed to return home through Surda.The Head of IDF Central Command, General Kaplinsky, arrived for a visit with his entourage. After speaking with the soldiers, he came over to talk with us, citing MachsomWatch as an important endeavor with a good influence. He politely listened to some of our criticism, and then told us at length how he was torn between humanitarian concerns and the need to provide protection from terrorists. He promised to continue to ease restrictions and make improvements. Time will tell how serious his commitment is.A young woman presented a birth certificate at the CP and claimed to be 15. The soldiers, who were suspicious because she looked older, had a female soldier search her. They found her ID and it turned out she was 28. We tried to intervene and ask for mercy, but Uriel refused because he had already called the “blue [Israeli] police”. The woman rejected our suggestion that she contact the Humanitarian Center [for the Defense of the Individual], saying that they never really help. When the police arrived we tried to soften their attitude to the woman, and they promised that after questioning she would be returned.We left at about 5 PM. Queues of pedestrians were short at both Qalandiya and A-Ram. The line of cars at Qalandiya was still very long; shorter at A-Ram.