Jalama

Jalama, Thursday, February 24, 2005, AMObserving and reporting: Shula and Mara06:25 - 08:00It took us almost an hour to convince the sleepy system to allow us to go to the waiting shed. It is a pity that the system is not in synch with the brigade commander's order to allow us to stand there. At least in Jalama there are no cellular reception difficulties as in Rihan. In any event, our stubbornness against the military headquarters, the brigade, and the District Coordination Office (DCO) paid off.From the place we stood during the first hour of our shift, at the end of the "sleeve" and before the parking lot, we were able to see that traffic moved along. Men arrived in our direction as they were zipping up their pants, dressing up after the inspection. A complaint that repeats itself, from those entering Israel, is that they arrive at the gate as early as 4 AM to have enough time to cross the checkpoint at 4:45, as stated in their permits. But the army opens the post only at 5:45, 6, or even 6:30 -- and they are cold. The soldiers dismiss this complaint, claiming that they open on time.A mother and her son, who is limping and leaning on a cane, get into a taxi that will take them to court (in Nazareth?). They are suing the State of Israel for compensation for the son's injury; he was shot by soldiers, unintentionally, a few years ago. Israel took responsibility for the incident.07:20In the waiting shed there are few people; at this hour most of the "regulars" had already crossed. It is calm. The people stand close to the turnstile and wait for the soldier to operate it from a distance. Then they go through, one by one: "Do you want to hear about problems? You can ask, but not here, on the side." In general, they are content with the operation of the checkpoint.A young woman drags a large, rolled carpet. The carpet doesn't set off the Magnumeter, but it is not allowed through. It is sent, with its owner, to the back-to-back area, quite a distance from the post.A young fellow tells us about his friend who worked in the Israeli village of Magen Shaul (close to the checkpoint) and all of a sudden he was denied passage. An elderly man complains that the gate doesn't always open in time. We gave him the telephone number of the office of the DCO, encouraging him to complain to them the next time it happens.A bus and a minibus drive slowly to the back-to-back area. This is where the inspection of prisoner's families on their way to visit their relatives takes place. As far as we were able to see, the inspection and the operation of the back-to-back lot begin shortly before 8 AM.