including Anata

Ar-Ram, Qalandiya, Anata 16.02.05 a.m.Observers: Chava H, Anat T (reporting) guests from ecumenical delegation6:40 Ar-Ram. 9 border police at the checkpoint. The operative sentence of the morning was "Did everyone eat?" The meanwhile, all the Palestinians were waiting. Men, women, and children. But it turned out that afterwards, the number of people equalled the extent of the challenge. The sorting out of people heading to Jerusalem began. At Qalandiya, already for a week and a half, all people, including those with green and orange i.d.'s have been allowed to cross without need for a special permit (according to Emil from the DCO), but at Ar- Ram, there is still the great challenge. There is only one detainee who came from Ramallah without a permit and was trying to find work. He was freed after about 15 minutes. There was no sign of jeeps chasing after people in Beit Hanina. When we left for Qalandiya, a police patrol was on the road heading north. Cars were randomly checked.7:00 Qalandiya. At the end of the humanitarian line, there is a small closed gate so that even the humanitarian line led to a turnstile. The soldiers explained that this will go on for a week in order to differentiate the number of those heading north according to the color of their i.d.'s And to be sure, a soldier was sitting and recording the colors, and that is what she will do all day. We suggested to the commander of the checkpoint "h" to change the tone of things "Boy, yalla, it is ten already, beat it" if only by doing so in order to get better cooperation by treating people with a little respect, and were surprised at how the message sank in immediately. When we saw her later and told her about the nervous behavior of the person in charge of organization, a reservist, she dealt with it immediately. There was not a long line of cars even though the cars were checked and required permits. The work in the area north east of the checkpoint continues, but the roof of the uncovered lane is still not built and the winter is still not over.8:45 AnataTwo lanes and one for buses. (this was the achievement of the neighborhood committee with the assistance of Danny S). There were 3 detainees without permits. One contended that he wanted to go to a doctor in Shuafat, but he is from the Modiin area and he didn't have a doctor's letter, and two were simply hanging out in the area of the checkpoint without papers. According to the commander "he understands them, that they need to work, but his orders are that they are not allowed to pass. And half of the people here say that they are going to a doctor. There are lots of stories". The detainees were sent back after about 20 minutes and after filling out the forms.A couple arrived with 3 young children. The woman was pregnant and had a blue i.d. and the man had a permit from the hotline for the protection of the individual stating that he is in the process of getting an i.d. They wanted to get to the hotline center to get a letter for the Interior Ministry for a meeting that will take place the next day. There was a discussion with the commanders of the checkpoint. We asked the hotline to speak with the border police people so that they would allow the man to pass, but it was of no avail. This was a matter of individual decision, according to them, and they insisted that he must bring a permit from the DCO in Beit El. The wife and the children crossed and the man returned to wherever he went.