Ar-Ram, Qalandiya, Fri. 10.12.04 a.m.Observers: NA, RE, T, RA (reporting)9:30 The checkpoint at Ar-Ram was calm without much pressure. We continued to Qalandiya.9:45. There was active, quick movement of people. The DCO representative speaking fluent Arabic, refused to allow a teacher from Hebron to return home for the weekend. We went north but remained the entire time in the area of the checkpoint around the concrete barriers. The teacher told us the the DCO representative returned his i.d. but not his teacher's certificate and is not allowing him to pass. R returned to the soldiers' post to clarify matters and to telephone. The man from the DCO showed her the teacher's certificate and convinced her that it was forged. T and R approached and got a calling-down from one of the woman soldiers who ordered us to pass via the checkpoint itself together with the Palestinians because we had gone to the Ramallah side. We did not refuse, but neither did we rush to carry out her command. While we were there, we learned that a Bedouin, an Israeli citizen from the Eilat area returned from a visit with his parents in Ramallah and when he opened his wallet, a used bus ticket fell out. He refused the command of the soldier to pick up the paper. According to him, he asked for the name of the soldier who refused to identify himself, pointed his gun at him and shouted "beat it". R was there for the end of the event. She contacted the commander of the Benjamin region and asked him to send his assistant. At the same time, the soldier repeated her command to us that we pass via the checkpoint. R was busy with her phone call and no one moved. The soldier glared at us saying that we were a disgrace to the nation. N said in reply: you had better use the power that you have while you're in the army wisely, because soon you will return to civilian life and the nothing that you actually are.The representative of the commander questioned his soldiers, the Bedouin citizen and us, but did not manage to settle the problem and called to the commander of the division himself. While trying to solve the dispute, he retested his weapon on his vest in a way that it pointed directly at the chest of those standing opposite him. He explained that that was the way to handle a weapon when in a threatening situation. When we were in the army, it was forbidden to point a gun in that way toward people. Apparently, today it is allowed. He continued to explain the rationale of the responsibility to use force and aggression for the purpose of defusing the situation. The division commander saw to it that the Bedouin got his i.d. back and an apology. The commander said that the soldiers at the checkpoint were new and instructed them not to start up with us because we are not a threat to them. He also promised to deal with the choice of words of the soldiers, and their intonations -- especially that of the cursing woman soldier from the military police.