'Anabta, Eyal, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Wed 13.5.09, Afternoon
14:30 Qalqiliya
The parking lot is full with
cars and cabs. 20 cars are waiting in line at the entrance. The line
is moving forward quite slowly and the drivers are complaining. At the
exit there are few cars and the traffic is flowing. We call the District
Coordination Office in Qalqiliya and ask them to do something about
the traffic jam, but the answer is that they can do nothing.
15:05 Anabta
It is windy and dusty. The construction
work continues. Yes, the barbed wire fence is also shining in the sun.
The traffic is moving forward at a slow pace, and the soldiers ignore
us. What’s important is that they do their job. The commander agrees
to answer us about the construction of the checkpoint. He says that
it is going to be for cars only with 4 lanes. It is not intended for
pedestrians.
15:25 Jubara
At our request the soldiers open
the gate to the village and we drive up to “The Children’s Gate”
(753). There is hardly any traffic. Five bored soldiers are letting
an illegal through. He has been waiting to receive a permit to go to
his home on the West Bank. Workers with permits are checked before they
move on. Other cars on their way home to Jubara drive through after
having been inspected. After a short conversation with a soldier who
wonders where we come from and what we are doing at the checkpoint,
we understand that he has no idea of what he is doing here. We drive
back, wait for the gate to be opened and go on to Eyal.
16:00 Eyal
When we arrive at Eyal the place
is almost empty. Some workers are walking up to the checkpoint on their
way home. We stop one of them, who seems to be in a hurry, to give him
our phone number. After 14 minutes he informs us that he has been let
through. We meet a worker with a permit to stay the night in Israel.
He is ill and has decided to go back, so he will not have to get up
so early in the morning. He tells us that he works in Petah Tikva and
that he is very pleased with his salary and with his employer. We ask
what happens when people want to go through the exit. He answers that
he was the only one.