Tarqumiya

Tarqumiya Monday morning, 31 January 2005 Observers: Ha’yelee S., Aviva W., (reporting)We arrived at 5:40, and I noticed that, contrary to my previous times at this CP, the line wasn’t movingI observed a change in the barriers: Now there is only one route for both vehicles and pedestrians, making the passage slower and, in my opinion, more dangerous for those on foot. About 300 people were waiting for the OK to pass through, and they were being made to approach the CP in groups of 5 at a time. (For the past two weeks, on my shift, the soldiers were letting whole groups pass through as they arrived.) While we were waiting for the line to pass, we asked the people what was going on. They told us of the morning before, when a soldier (apparently a Druze), was rude and cruel to some of the people waiting in line. They told us of how he had demanded that the people stand up while they were waiting: this because one older man was sitting on a boulder while waiting for the line to move. The soldier also attacked someone with a stick [Ed. – awaiting clarification of this statement.]. In the end, for some it was too late to go to work, so they returned home. We talked to the soldier standing closer to those in line and summoning them to approach 5 at a time. When I asked him why the change in policy, and why the wait, he replied that he personally had caught someone with a forged permit. (They also check the laborers’ knowledge of Hebrew, and use a different for permit, I was told by a man waiting in line…) Now they were checking and writing down everybody's information.When it got a little lighter, the officer in charge, whom I met twice before, and with whom I’ve developed an open line of communication, “came out of hiding” (not really), and with the help of another soldier, checked additional people coming through, and wrote their details on a paper. After ten minutes of this, they opened up the passage for all.By around 7.00, all those who had been waiting had passed through. (Around 600 or more laborers.)The buses with Palestinians going to visit family members in Israeli prisons:We then went over to the bus parking area. The Palestinian detainees’ families had arrived, and were waiting for the Israeli buses and police escort to arrive. These started to come at 7:15. One of the bus drivers told me that sometimes they depart from Tarqumiya only at 11 AM. Those traveling are spouses, parents, children, babies, and elderly people, starting their trip at 5 AM, and retuning home at 1 AM after numerous security checks. We chatted with a few of them (one man with a 20 year old who’s been in prison for three years.) Some young girls approached us and asked us in English what our names are. Very cute! I was offered a strong cup of coffee. We wished them an easy journey, and left for home at 7:20 AM.