Qalandiya, Sun 7.2.10, Morning
Translation: Bracha B.A.
05:15
Qalandiya
People are moving through in three lanes. Four sleeves are open and apparently people are working in the inspection rooms as well. The line is sometimes shorter and sometimes longer but keeps moving.
Everything appears to be "all right" until 06:30 when the humanitarian lane opens. What else can be said about this embarrassment? Neither the officer from the Liaison and Coordination Administration nor the policeman have any idea of what the word means except for what the army has determined. People have to wait until the policeman brings the key. A woman holding a heavy child with tubes in his nose who comes every Sunday has to wait in front of the gate which is empty until the time comes to open it for her. Another woman arrives holding a baby
and has to wait as well. The officer from the Liaison and Coordination Administration argues with us about the waiting time. "Seven minutes is not so long to wait." What about last week when she had to wait for an hour because no one objected to the warped definition of "humanitarian?" The impersonal policeman inside the glass booth talks and talks with those inside, laughing and having a good time.
The Ecumenical man says that they let out their anger on us (Machsom Watch) at those who have to wait outside in the cold until they open the gate for them.