Reihan, Shaked, Sat 19.7.08, Morning

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Observers: 
Shula N., Noah L .(reporting)
Jul-19-2008
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Morning

07:30 - 08:30 Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

When we arrive, traffic is flowing in both directions. A man tells us that the soldiers are new to the area, only three days there, and one of them in particular is behaving very crudely."Never mind, in another week they will leave." We pass the complaint on to the company commander who comes to visit the sector, and ask him about the situation.
Shortly afterwards a vehicle is detained at the checkpoint for a long time, preventing passage of other cars and occasionally also pedestrians. The line gets longer in both directions. Even the donkey (a child riding it) displays impatience and kicks endlessly.
We call the DCO: "We’ll check." We call again after a few minutes: "There’s a problem and it’s being dealt with." The company commander returns, and we approach him again: according to the people well versed in checkpoints, it is only here that one detainee can hold up all the traffic.
At other checkpoints, the vehicle stands aside while the matter is clarified, and meanwhile all the others keep going. We phoned the DCO and got the answer: "You do not know everything. There’s are problems and they are being dealt with." Meanwhile a few people and an occasional car do pass.

It’s not clear whether the problem is with the checking equipment, with inexperienced soldiers or something else that we cannot clarify.
We leave. 08:40 - 09:30 Reihan-Bartaa Checkpoint
Flowing traffic in both directions – pedestrian and vehicular. No one waiting at the entrance to the terminal, on either side, but people coming out say it is very crowded inside. Only one window is open to check people entering and leaving. We look for the (civilian company) supervisor on the spot. The workers say they’ll phone him, he’s coming and anyway what do we want (that they should open windows), but "Meir" doesn’t appear by the time we are to leave. Cars in line to the Seam Zone are waiting at least half an hour for a check which also takes (in a place out of our sight) at least half an hour more.