Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Thu 3.9.09, Morning

4.45  

We arrive at the checkpoint. At the entrance the turnstile is open most of the time. When there is a large number of people the guards stop for a moment and then they reopen at once. The passage is not crowded and there is no pressure. We see a big sign in Hebrew and in Arabic. It speaks about hope, and next to the text there is a big flower.

At the exit we measure 10 minutes from entrance to exit. The workers tell us that the passage through is smooth. Even if they have to enter the room it is for a relatively short time since the incident last month. In general, the atmosphere is much less pressured. A female agricultural worker tells us that she comes from the Jinin area, that she works 8 hours and earns 60 NIS a day.

The exit compound is full of workers waiting for transportation. They are sleeping or talking or just wasting their time. It is a pity that the improvements at the checkpoint have not led to a change of the schedule and saving time.  

5.30

Eyal – When we arrive there are already lots of workers waiting for transportation. The fence closing off the checkpoint prevents us from entering. The large number of cars and workers also make it difficult for us to park, so we decide to drive home.