'Anabta, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Te'enim Crossing, Tue 23.2.10, Morning

9:30 Anabta
There are no soldiers at this passage to TulKarm.

Figs Gate

There is hardly any traffic. They are checking our ID cards and they open our car door for inspection.

10:10 Irtach
We arrived here to hear how things had been here at dawn. But those we met could not tell us.

Ususally there are masses of people at this checkpoint and it is hard to listen to a personal story, or help. But today it happened: Omar Znobar has been working in Petah Tikva for 12 years, at a bakery. The validity of his permit had expired and he applied for a new one. It has been several days now that he has been arriving here but he got no permit. Today they are telling him that his permit has been there since the 18.2.10 (he is delighted - a permit for 6 months! or so they said) but his employer  has to come here to fetch him. Yesterday he had been told that the permit is in Qalqiliya, at the Palestinian Work Office. He drove there very fast but there was nothing there. He is desperate and fears that something has gone wrong.  He does not understand why there is a different instruction every time.  We promised to remain connected by phone until this is sorted.

We left at 10:30. During the day, after many conversations with his employer, after the employer came to the checkpoint and the DCO ("The permit is in Qalqiliya, not here, you should not have come") they contacted Qalqiliya ("There are permits here but his name does not appear" ) again he went to the DCO ("Tell him to go to Qalqiliya"). Again phone calls here and there (How many calls , how much time lost , the employer/employee relations stood the test amazingly) Omar went to Qalqiliya at noon time and got his permit.