Rihan

Rihan, Thursday, December 16, 2004, PMObservers: Carmel B., Ricki Y. (reporting)14:00 - 15:30Construction work and painting are all done by Arabs. How ironic; they build their own checkpoints. As the talmudic phrase goes: "The crusader who carries the cross on his back."Traffic at the CP streams along, consisting mostly of families with children going in both directions, to Barta'a or the West Bank. The female soldier at the pedestrian inspection post is pleasant; she says: "They are also human beings." At the vehicle passage, they allow the transfer of cartons with merchandise or auto replacement parts. Carmel, who was on duty on Sunday and endured hostility, says, "Today is a different world."But not all is well. We met a Palestinian from the village of Ya'abed (in the West Bank), whose wife and five children are residents of the Israeli village of Kara. He has been waiting for four years for a family-unification permit. The main permit was already given, but there is a long line for obtaining the final permit. In the meantime the family meets on weekends. We saw them: such a happy meeting. We promised to try our luck in the Ministry of Interior in Hadera. Who knows? Maybe we can be of help. Let's hope so.