Eyal Crossing

03:55  We arrive before the gates open

  Annaline notices new work on a sewer and a security fence.  Solid structures intended to last a long time.

04:02  The gate opened on time, more or less.  The women’s gate opened at the same time and closed at 04:09 after all the women on the separate line had entered.  Women who arrived late had to join the regular line.

The ecumenicals reportthat there are again holes in the corridor fences, on both sides, at two places.  We heard again, from one of the guards, the story of how they repair the fence and the Palestinians come with professional tools and make holes to go through.  The new holes will be repaired soon…

On our way to the exit Israel guards approach us requesting we notify them when we arrive, before we go to the separation fence on the Palestinian side.  That’s a new request.  They say the army has the fence under observation to prevent it from being breached and it disturbs them when we move around the area…

At the exit gate,  the flow of people exiting is interrupted from time to time.  Occasionally the gate stops turning for about thirty seconds.  When it’s open about thirty people per minute go through.  And as expected when the corridor fences have been breached – people report an uproar on the line, say that two Palestinian Authority ambulances were called to collect persons who’d been trampled.  One man tells us he fell down and would have been trampled to death had not his two friends pulled him free.

A man comes out, extremely upset, saying that one of the staff accused him of talking on a cell phone (is that forbidden?), and when he said he hadn’t – he was removed from the line and made to stand off to the side and threatened he’d be handcuffed if he didn’t behave properly (an example, says Annaline, of the saying in Proverbs 30:22, “when a servant shall reign…”).  He told us he had to stand there 45 minutes until he was allowed to continue along his Via Dolorosa to the exit.

05:20  We left.

On her way home, Annaline stopped at the Eyal checkpoint and counted six Afikim company buses waiting to take Palestinians to various destinations (some minivans also).  Why aren’t there similar buses at the Efrayim gate?

Regarding health insurance for Palestinian workers in Israel:  they pay Bituach Leumi, which in Israel provides accident insurance and makes them eligible for health insurance in a Palestinian HMO.  When the Palestinian Authority has no money – they can’t obtain medications, even though they’re insured…

03:45-04:50  Irtach

The Palestinians’ entry courtyard to the inspection building has been reorganized.  The inner gates have also been electrified.  The spirals of razor wire along the fence dividing the general checkpoint area from the part considered Palestinian have been removed.  There’s now no way to bring women up to the revolving gate without their first joining the main line.  The concrete cubes along the exit from the inspection building have been replaced by higher walls that look like stone tiles; the lower portion is made of broad, flat straight surfaces resembling benches.

Congestion is terrible in the fenced lane before the entrance. There is  a  large group of women bunched around two small bonfires to warm up on this very cold morning.

The electric revolving gate at the entry plaza begins operating at 04:07.  A few women manage to enter in the second wave going through the revolving gate.  The rest enter only 7-8 minutes later and the congestion is great.

The first few people exit on the other side about seven minutes later  From then on, the revolving gate at the exit (constructed, as we recall, according to the venerable checkpoint principle of one-at-a-time) doesn’t stop turning quickly and at a fairly consistent rate.  Those coming out can be seen putting more than one layer of clothing back on as they leave the document inspection booths – not only coats, but often the layer beneath as well.  Men and women complain to us about the terrible congestion in the lines.  Women stress the crowding; they can’t deal with the men or with the undesirable physical contact and touching while on line.  Most of the women are adults.  They began exiting the other side, in groups, only about 20 minutes after the checkpoint opened.  Many of them work picking strawberries during this season.

Many of them arrive an hour or even an hour and a half before the gates open to ensure they’ll get to work on time, because it’s impossible to estimate how long it will take to go through the checkpoint.  Some say that yesterday one of the laborers had to be hospitalized because of the crowding.

They say that inspection takes longer than necessary; there aren’t enough inspectors to handle the hundreds and thousands trying do go through in a relatively short period of time and the clerks at the final stage of document inspection work slowly.

At 04:35, the revolving gate at the entrance stopped for about three minutes.  We think it was because so many people were crowded into the inspection building.

At 04:50 we drove to the Eyal checkpoint.

People were crowded all through the checkpoint area when we arrived.  People came out fairly quickly.

We met Na’im, from Jayyus, who thought it would be good to enable Machsom Watch women to see things from the other side – the congestion, the long wait, etc.

05:30  We drove to the Eliyahu gate

We arrived and parked in the lot.  We walked down toward the checkpoint.  First one of the security guards stopped us.  We waited on a sort of large traffic island adjoining the sidewalk running the length of the parking lot.  A particularly extreme example of ornate checkpoint architecture with stone flower pots, ramps resembling mosaic and swaths of artificial grass, though there aren’t multicolored lights illuminating the grass like at the Eyal checkpoint.  Then the person in charge appeared and didn’t allow us to walk to the checkpoint, claiming that we “are interfering with people doing their job.”  He allowed us only to stand on the sidewalk on the other side of the road, dozens of meters from the checkpoint itself.  He was very assertive in his demands which are, in our view, illegal, and we wrote down his particulars in order to file a complaint.

06:15  Habla agricultural gate

The inner area of the checkpoint was illuminated by two giant projectors.  In a plastic bag on the gate, so it wouldn’t get wet, was a printed page in Arabic listing the new opening hours of the checkpoint and the telephone number of the humanitarian office in Jerusalem.  The projectors were turned off when the gate opened.  The soldiers told us that they turn on and off automatically; the gate isn’t illuminated all night long.  The area here has also been reorganized; the barbed wire fences that used to be on the inner side of the ditch surrounding the checkpoint area have been removed, the ground leveled and new razor wire spirals have been placed on the external fence on the other side of the ditch.  (The garbage surrounding the checkpoint hasn’t been removed).

The gate opened at six-thirty.  At 06:35 people in groups of five began coming through the inspection building.  Inspection was quick, also for a man and young son in a horse cart.

Tightly packed rows of pruned olive trees were planted temporarily in mounds of earth along the path leading to the checkpoint gate and behind the bus stop.  They were about 12-15 years old.  At the exit from the village and on the other side of the main road running past it we saw rows of much older olive trees.  No one could tell us at this hour of the morning where they’d come from; people only pointed to the plant nursery to which they belonged.  Because the crossing operated in a reasonable manner and the soldiers didn’t seem stressed and weren’t unduly pedantic . We left at about 07:30

A quiet ordinary morning of the occupation;  the passage of children to school goes quickly.

06:25  'Azzun 'Atma

Many people are already waiting for their employers on the Israeli side;  they crowd around the walls and in the shelter of the barriers and warm themselves with small bonfires they lit, as, by our standards, a temperature of 14 degrees C is cold.  There is an average  line for this hour of about 60 people waiting.  The construction activities at the checkpoint continue;  they added low cement walls which control the line on the Palestinian side and also on the Israeli side, but they are not yet in use.  The passage is quick, 25 people went through in 8 minutes, quite different than at Habla.  No people coming from the direction  of  the Tamar Gate - we should check if it was actually open.

07:10  Habla

The first group just went through.  2 buses of children arrive and go through quickly, after being  inspected by a woman soldier.  For what reason?  What could they be smuggling to Habla and for what reason?

One worker, after he had passed through inspection at the booth, was asked to pass another inspection of his packages by the military police near the exit.  30 people went through in 11 minutes, a real record of speed for this gate, where usually only one person goes through in a minute.

07:50  Eliyahu Gate

A few vehicles are being checked; there is no line in the pedestrian area.

08:20  Hawwara

There are no soldiers around, and traffic goes through with undisturbed.

09:00  Za'atra/Tapuah

One soldier on the lookout.  From the direction of Nablus the Palestinians go through in the right-hand lane of the "Israelis" as well as through the "Palestinian" lane

06:15  Eliyahu Gate - A lot of people are waiting in the pedestrian line;  we didn't stop, because we wanted to get to Jayyus at a reasonable hour and, because of a misunderstanding, we got a late start. .

06:35  Jayyus - the gate opened at 06:00 and, when we arrived, the Ecumenical group were already there and counting the people passing through.  A number of tractors, van and wagons with families went through on their way to the olive harvest.  At 07:05 the checkpoint closed.

07:35 - Falamya - Quiet as usual at this hour.  Every once in a while a tractor arrives with a number of workers, families and one family who went through on foot to their fields/ orchards, after leaving their car for which they didn't have a permit at the checkpoint. We continued to Zuhair's grocery to hear what is happening in the village of Jemal.  They confirmed that they had received permits for the harvest (thanks to the intervention of Ronni and Miriam), and some of them had already finished the harvest.  There were no special problems, thank goodness.

09:30  Eyal crossing - We decided to drop in, since some Palestinians had told us that there were hours during which the crossing was stopped, in spite of the fact that people were waiting to go through, but it seemed to them that the progress was halted until enough people had gathered into a serious line and only then did they open the gate.  We met a DCO officer who told us that there was no problem there and that he made sure that the crossing was always open, even though sometimes there were only a few inspection booths.  It is worthwhile going there at about 07:00 in order to witness what happens.  Perhaps we will try next week.  While we were there, only one man went through, but it was really a late hour for going to work or for some other commercial business.  Several people returned as they had not found work.

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Translation: Judith Green 

6:15  Elyahu Gate - A lot of people waiting in the pedestrian line;  we didn't stop, because we wanted to get to Jayous at a reasonable hour and, because of a misunderstanding, we got a late start. .

6:35  Jayyus - the gate opened at 6 and, when we arrived, the Ecumenical group were already there and counting the people passing through.  A number of tractors, van and wagons with families went through on their way to the olive harvest.  At 7:05 the checkpoint closed.

7:35 - Falamiya - Quiet as usual at this hour.  Every once in a while a tractor arrives with a number of workers, families and one family who went through by foot to their fields/ orchards, after leaving their car at the checkpoint, as it didn't have a permit. We continued to Zuhair's grocery to hear what is happening in the village of Jemal.  They confirmed that they had received permits for the harvest (thanks to the intervention of Ronni and Miriam), and some of them had already finished the harvest.  There were no special problems, thank goodness.

9:30  Eyal crossing - We decided to look in, since some Palestinians had told us that there were hours during which the crossing was halted, in spite of the fact that people were waiting to go through, but it seemed to them that the progress was halted until enough people had gathered into a serious line and only then did they open the gate.  We met a DCO officer who told us that there was no problem there and that he made sure that the crossing was always open, even though sometimes there were only a few inspection booths.  It is worthwhile to go there at about 7 in order to witness what happens.  Perhaps we will try next week.  While we were there, only one man went through, but it was really a late hour for going to work or for some other commercial business.  Several people returned as they had not found work.

Irtah, Dawn shift 

5.00     As we had an appointment on this day with Yiftach Elad, the manager of the terminal we were at Irtah perfectly on time.  Although I realized it was “Eid al Adha”or ”Feast of the Sacrifice”I hoped the secular laborers would be able to go to their workplaces, this Friday-morning if they choose so. But the ministry of defense ”dances on two weddings” and closes the border-passages not only on Jewish holidays but takes advantage for an extra vacation-day for the workers of the terminal on Muslim feasts as well. In other words, we were not the only sacrifices on the altar of the Occupation {J} and rose so early for nothing: terminal closed, andno manager either.      

We went to look if the area at the Palestinian entrance was taken care of and noticed that it was clean this time.         

The silence that prevailed in the area was a few minutes later only broken by the call of the muezzin we could hear coming from the minaret far away.             

This time no one of the IDF-personnel came to check on us, although very likely someone from the nearby watchtower, overseeing the whole area, must have spotted us there.

We drove to the - also closed- terminal Eyal to try to see if there is progress with the expansion of this terminal, but could only see that the bare electricity cables we saw last time had now disappeared [/were connected.?]. Maybe next time we can get more information about this.

06:00  Eliyahu crossing

There were about 7-8 cars in the parking lot outside the checkpoint, in the area open to the public, probably waiting for Palestinians who hadn't yet come through the inspection.  At least 30 workers were still waiting to go through.  A number of the cars were waiting with their doors open (including the baggage) at the inspection area.

06:15  Agricultural crossing, Jayyus

Because of a misunderstanding, the Ecumenical volunteers were not waiting for us at the checkpoint.  When we arrived, a tractor was going through.  Then another tractor entered the checkpoint and went through quickly.  A Palestinian arrived with a horse and wagon, went up to the soldiers;  he didn't get off the wagon, but gave his documents and continued on his way, and after him another tractor whose driver didn't get down.  The passage was very quick, apparently influenced by the heat.

06:30  Gate closed.

We go by way of the village 'Azun;  naturally, the stores were closed,, except for the grocery stores.

06:45  About 20 people were waiting at the exit from 'Azun.

No workers wait to enter. There are 2 vehicles at the inspection area.

06:53  Habla

There are soldiers, but the gate is closed.  Palestinians are sitting and waiting on the other side.  A farmer is harvesting okra next to the fence.  The soldiers open the gates before 07:00, and the Palestinians get organized.

07:00

The first group of 5 reaches the turnstile and enters the inspection booth.  The next 5 reach the turnstile.  The first group went through in 2 minutes as did the second group.  The elderly guard from the nursery, with the donkey and wagon, was not required to get down from the wagon and passed without any inspection.

15 people went through in 6 minutes the vehicle gate was wide open.  People were passing through with a smile on their faces and greeting us with "shalom", as though we were responsible for the quick passage..

A tractor arrived from the direction of the nurseries, with a pesticide tank connected to it; it,too, went through with no inspection.

07:20  No line, although people arrive steadily and go through quickly.

07:35  Eyal crossing (Qalqilya)

A lot of taxis and Israeli transporters  are in the parking lot, and a lot of Palestinians are waiting for their employers.  It seems that all the workers who have regular jobs and permits for Israel have already left, and only those with "merchant" permits are waiting.

07:45

Many workers are still going through, dozens waiting for their employers, managers and transport.  Little by little, the lot empties, but there are still dozens of workers who didn't find work and yet another day goes by, after making the arduous trip from their homes, to which they will return without any money.  They speak about how, since they didn''t find an employer who is willing to give them a permit in which he assures them of work, they can't get the official standing of a worker, but only that of a merchant, which doesn't give them as many privileges.  A number of people encircled us and asked for help and advice about specific problems, and also people who just wanted to talk about their difficult  lives and their normal desires to bring up their children in a better world.

I have phone numbers for all these people, and naturally I explained to them that I can only hope to clarify some things, but I promised to get back to them even if I don't have any answers.  I left these people with a heavy heart, helpless, and quite ashamed.

Eyal crossing, 109, Habla

06.10  Eyal crossing. Many workers, who have already crossed, and transits are waiting outside. We see an unending stream of people coming out.  According to the workers we talk to, all those who pass at this hour are ‘Office[?} workers’, i.e., workers who have a permanent employer who pays the necessary taxes to the labour office and their permits are renewed every six months.  They don’t have to miss a day’s work because the employer sees to this.

 They complain that between 06.30 and 07.00 the checkpoint closes so as to distinguish between ‘workers’ and ‘merchants.’ This causes delay.  At 06.20 the checkpoint closed but those already inside the enclosure continue to exit.  At 06.45 they stopped except for a few.  Those who came out said that behind the carousels there were 700-1000 Palestinians, mostly merchant-permit holders.

06.50  The last worker exited. He had entered at 05.45.

06.55 A lone woman exits.

07.00 Once again many workers started exiting.  They say most of them have merchant permits.  They complain that only 6 out of 20 stations are active even in rush hour.  They also complain about the attitude of the director, also that often people are stuck for a long time while the checkers try to catch someone whom they accuse of trying to cut in. Sundays and Fridays are the worst: Sunday because there are many workers who have permits to sleep in Israel. On Friday they open late and there are fewer checkers.  According to the Palestinians there are now ‘ushers’ among themselves who keep order in the line, easing the pressure.

One improvement they mention is that there is no registering when they return and so they can return via the most convenient crossing.

Merchants can cross until 10.00.

07.10 A steady stream of merchants comes out.

07.20 Eliyahu crossing.  There are about 25 Palestinians still waiting to cross through into Israel. There are 6 cars in the checking booth.

07.24 Habla checkpoint.  A military vehicle is parked at the entrance to the nurseries.  Many workers have already passed through. A bus with children waits to pass.  The vehicle crossing is closed and has to be opened each time for a car or cart.  Pedestrians cross through the small gate.  The military vehicle approaches and crosses to the security road.

07.28 There are only 3 Palestinians waiting to enter.  The very polite reserve soldiers explain that the gate was already opened at 06.00 and will close at 08.15.

We decided to go out on a dawn shift after last week's report concerning problems of the passage of workers.  We actually saw a relatively swift passage, with no special problems, except for the very fact of having to arrive from all parts of the West Bank to one checkpoint, from which everyone goes to their workplace in the central region.

04:30  Irtach.

There were Palestinians walking along the road to Irtach (not clear to what destination).  The parking lot was full of cars and vans collecting workers on their way.  Hundreds of workers were scattered around the area, having already passed through the inspection and waiting for transport, sitting and standing in groups; smoking, eating breakfast which they brought with them and clustering around the cafeteria whose owners do well every morning selling coffee, tea and other extras.  We also checked the entry spot for inspection (behind yet other fences and shacks whose purpose was not clear) and the turnstyles open and close quickly.  At 05:00 the line next to the entrance was already quite short.  People with whom we spoke reported on a passage within an hour (to them this seemed quite fast).

06:05    Eyal

The situation at Ayal was similar:  lots of people around and many vehicles coming and going.  Because of the structure of the place (here too they have added a roofed over lane) it was impossible to see the line of people entering or the exit.  The workers whom we questioned said the passage here too was fine.

In the end, a van driver approached us:  he was from Jerusalem and brings workers all over the occupied territory.  He spoke from his heart and it was clear that we gave him the opportunity to let off steam and express his discouragement;  from  us as well.  "What do you do?  You come.  You stand around and write things down...but nothing ever changes."  And so on.  I think to myself, "What do they - the Palestinians, poverty stricken,  think about us?  How do they see us?

It was too early to travel to Habla, where the checkpoint only opens at 7:00, so we returned home.