Reihan, Shaked, Sat 23.1.10, Morning

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Observers: 
Sarit A., Rachel H., (Reporting)
Jan-23-2010
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Morning
Translation: Bracha B.A.

06:55 – Reihan Checkpoint
A van is waiting at the top.
At 07:00 the announcement: "Good morning.  Passage has begun" sounds.  It is cold outside.  The flowerpots along the wall are painted brown, including those that were painted green a week ago.  The exaggerated gardening efforts at the checkpoint, together with the staff who run it, are disgusting.

From the entrance a male voice sounds speaking with supposed politeness: "Another five."  He is speaking to the groups of five people who enter the terminal.   The sixth person is thrown out: "No, no no, You have to learn how to count!"  He also offers instructions: go there, put that there, do this, do that, and occasional positive responses such as good, excellent, and then "Hey, who are you?  Get Back, I didn't call you…"   There are children coming out who are on vacation from school.  Two windows in the terminal are operating and the women working there are new.  At least one of them spoke fairly good Arabic.  Both have telephones glued to their ears.  We saw that people came out within a quarter of an hour.


07:07 – The first people emerge from the terminal…
One of the people coming out reports, "Today there is an officer, not an Arab, so everything is OK."

08:00   The lower parking lot fills up.  The passage through the terminal is quick.  There are practically no cars in the entrance.  15 passengers from a minibus belonging to the "east Barta'a" transport company are standing outside the entrance putting their cards through the machine.  Some have to pass their cards through more than once.  After a process that takes more than 15 minutes the minibus leaves.


Looking up we see that one of the guards is watching what is going on below through the sight of his rifle.  At 08:10 there are 8 transits waiting for passengers.

08:20
Shaked Checkpoint
Two soldiers are sitting on the fence smoking.  The view is green and you can see for miles.  All is quiet and empty.

We left at 08:40.