Eyal Crossing, 'Anabta, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Mon 17.8.09, Morning
06:40 Eyal many workers are waiting for transportation. The workers who leave now have arrived around 06:00 at the CP. We met two of our colleagues who were there on their shift, so we went on our way.
07:05 Qalqiliya - the passage is free. There are soldiers at the guard post.
07:15 Ras-a-Tiya There are no queues. Workers who passed immediately went on a car to work at a plant nursery on the Israeli side of the fence. According to them the CP was opened with a delay of half an hour. The passage was accomplished without delays.
08:50 Antaba - the passage is free, in most cases, with soldiers watching in the guard cabins. A soldier requested us shouting through the megaphone to stop taking photographs (Mikey photographed all the time because she prepares a reportage for a Dutch newspaper about the influence of the CPs on the economy). We explained that we were allowed to take photos and Mikey continued doing that. A private car with a father, mother and children is stopped for checking, all the family is made to leave the car and wait in the sun. After the car has been checked they re-enter it and drive away. Later the soldiers stop every car coming from Tulkarm for a series of short questions. A car is stopped inside the CP and two very elderly persons leave it. All the doors are opened, and even those of the luggage compartment, for checking, their papers are checked and the queue grows, and then they are released. In the meantime there is a very long queue, but a few minutes later the soldiers stopped checking each car, and the queue dissolved. Thus most of the cars waited for about 10 minutes. This can't be called a Free Passage! From time to time a car arrives which doesn't know that it is now allowed to pass, and stops. The soldiers don't even pay attention to the fact that the car is waiting and only after some moments remember it and wave it on, or the driver decides to date and proceed slowly and hesitantly.
09:30 Jubara gate 753
The place is quiet. Every person passing at the gate is registered.