Ar-Ram, Qalandiya 25.1.05 p.m.Observers: Nora A, Roni H, Iris B, Aya K, Tami G, Shira J (reporting)Ar-Ram. We got to Ar-Ram at 16:00. A proud, furious woman was standing there with her 3 children. This was the second time that the same thing happened -- and several of us know this woman from the previous incident at the start of the school year. The family lives in Jerusalem and the woman came to collect her children when they returned from school, but the young daughter, aged 14 forgot her certificate which served as a crossing pass for children who are too young to have an i.d in school. We would have thought that such a situation could have been quickly resolved since the girl has an American passport which would serve to prove her age, but the commander at the checkpoint, border policewoman A, whose impatience and crudeness we were already family with contended that the passport did not have her i.d. number (contradicting what her mother said and, more important, in contradiction to the facts). It appeared that before we arrived, a vicious argument broke out during which the border policewoman demanded that the mother give her her i.d. or leave the checkpoint and leave her daughter there. The mother refused to give her i.d. because she never crossed the checkpoint and said that information about her daughter could easily be ascertained from the passport. When we arrived, the daughter was already crying and the mother said that she was going to file a complaint. The daughter stood aside as we were not allowed to speak with her. It appeared that the border policewoman was sick of the drama and the shouting and she was actually prepared to speak with us and even to listen. According to her, there was a problem with the mother's approach. It's good that we have an army that worries about the approach of women whom we rule over and who are reluctant to leave their young, frightened daughters detained at a checkpoint. Within a short time, we were able to convince A to check the passport again for an i.d. number, and of course, there was one. The daughter's i.d. was checked in a computer and the embittered family went on their way. The reporter who accompanied us said "They didn't even say they were sorry." Two days later, we received a letter of thanks from the mother for our help.Qalandiya,One of the porters who worked at the checkpoint told us that a jeep of the shin bet arrived in the morning and assembled some 60 young men. Some of them were told to appear at Mahaneh Ofer that afternoon. Are they looking to enlist collaborators? At the checkpoint, a man was detained whose i.d. said that he was born in Gaza, but on the appendix attached it was written that he was a resident of Ar-Ram. Anton from the DCO told us that the appendix to the i.d. was forged, and in the check with the computer it revealed that the man was married to an Israeli, that he forged a permit in the past, that he was caught roaming around in Israel, and that he is forbidden to cross. He called the b.p. so that they would call in the blue police who will deal with him. However, the border police were not interested in pursuing the issue. Anton complained that since no one at the checkpoint (border police or military police) was interested in assuming responsibility, the man would be released to go to Ramallah. No one has any idea where the man lives. The man said that he lives in Ar-Ram, works as a teacher in Ramallah and crosses the checkpoint every day. They did not believe him. A border policewomen then returned his i.d. to him and he continued toward Ramallah. We tried to convince Anton that in addition to the permits that the man had, and that whether or not it was forged, the man obviously has a complicated life story and that if he is married to an Israeli woman since 1998, he is not a major criminal that was caught by the shin bet and someone who necessarily forges permits, but simply a married man that wants to see his family. Anton maintained that he was simply carrying out his orders which were set up by a larger system. His responsibility is not to think -- for that there are other people in higher commands. The conversation with him was pleasant enough, but invariably led to a dead end. It would be interesting to know if, in spite of this, something does penetrate. A student from Hebron who studies in Bir Zeit got to the checkpoint without a permit. After a short argument, she was sent to Surda. While crossing to the north, we met Jeff from the Organization against demolition of homes. He was on his way back from Kfar Akab. An hour later, when we returned to the checkpoint, Jeff was still there -- detained. They told him that it was forbidden for Israelis to enter Kfat Akab , and they took him for investigation at the police. An amusing anecdote that typifies the stupidity of the bureaucracy that emerges from the rulers. Jeff crossed the checkpoint (as we also are required to do) and because he lost his i.d., he presented his Israeli passport. The soldier checked his passport and then said that Jeff did not have a visa which would allow him to enter Israel. The passport, as we wrote, was an Israeli passport.