Qalandiya Thursday 6.1.05 PMObservers: Yvonne P., Edna K., Martha K., Lia N.At the Qalandiya Checkpoint there were more soldiers than usual, and the line was noticeably crowded. Haim – glasses and a knit skullcap – usually posted at the Ar-Ram CP, was the DCO representative on the spot. He responded to all our questions and complaints with a friendly smile and explained that “this is not worth a quarrel with the soldiers”. “This” was the CP Commander R.’s harsh treatment of the women in the “humanitarian” line, which he did report to his superiors. R. was rude to the people in line, and at some point an ill woman tried to pass outside the line, but found it impossible. A woman carrying a baby and many bags, who had already crossed, was ordered to come back and present her ID. When she asked exactly how she was expected to do so with her baby in her arms, he hurried to offer his services and stood their, uniformed and armed, with the baby asleep in his arms, while the mother searched for her ID.One of the more irritating moments this afternoon, “uneventful” but still more irritating than usual: The girl-soldier in charge of the magnometer ordered a man whom the machine beeped at, to repeat the check. When the beeping persisted she nonchalantly reached out her hand and lifted his sweater.For a long while we dealt with a detainee who was stopped on his way Ramallah, by the random Border Patrol check. Quite a while passed until they agreed to reveal to us and to his lawyer who arrived, what this was all about. Three years back, this man was involved in an accident where he was the driver, and a girl was killed. He had served his sentence in jail in Ramallah, and still he seemed to have some unfinished business with our “blue” police. He and several friends and relatives were on their way to a wedding in Ramallah, so they were in a hurry. The affair unrolled in its own good time – two hours later the police showed up, another hour and a half until the man was released, after having signed something, along with his lawyer. The policemen kept us at a distance, out of “respect for his privacy”.Another incident: A Jewish Israeli psychologist on his way back from Ramallah, where he had been sent on some Education Ministry matter, was held for a long while at the CP with the woman who was with him. They too were finally released, without police interference.