Tarqumiya

Tarqumiya, Monday 20.12.04, AMobserved by Evelien and Gillie P,Evelien V reportsAt 5.30 we arrived at the CP.four transits passed us already on our way,the soldier at the CP.likes to show his power,and orders id.'cards to be shown,and prove of our participation in machsomwatch,interverens of another soldier who knows us longtime smoothens our passing to the other side.There are about 50 workers waiting in line,and we recognize immediately the tall man called Mochamed that could not pass two weeks ago because his permit was given out before 11-11-04,then did pass last week with the same permit and as we witnessed, today again didnot pass,but as he explained he didnot have trouble passing with this permit all the other days of this two weeks.Now and then somebody was sent back,on the whole about 15 people because of the dating of their permit.The soldiers did explain that before they open the CP. in the morning they receive orders about the rules of the day......A big truck from the police brings caught Palestinians without a permit back,on release from the truck they lit a big fire near electricity poles,this brings soldiers over who order the workers waiting in the row to take care of this problem,otherwise nobody will cross...The problem is taken care of immidiately,5minutes passed 6 o'clock,100 people waiting still,three by three they pass,sometimes they get sent back,it all happens in an atmosphere where nobody is emotional involved at the surface,it is the game that is played out everyday again and again,and everybody plays their role....Then a worker tell us that people are kept near the soldiers and their permits taken,indeed 16 people are waiting,and a driver is argueing loud.The probem is the fact that the empoyer[a bedouin from Arad]filed for bankrupcy the day before,and the soldiers were ordered to take in the permits,which will be send to the Matak.It means also that the workers won't get their pay...6.20 the line of workers is gone,two busses with families for prison visits appear,we decide to leave.On the way back,a few kilometers from the CP.we see a group of workers sitting next to the road waiting to be picked up, we recognize people that were send back three quaters of an hour before..