Qalandiya, Sun 16.5.10, Afternoon

  "Wall breaking education"- a row of signs were hanging along the roads leading to Palestine, they were placed there by the Municipality of Jerusalem.

We didn't hear any reactions or protests regarding the infrastructure at East Jerusalem which is one of the worst in comparison with third world countries, nor point out that that the wall of education aren't the ones that need to be taken down but the separation wall.

Qalandiya checkpoint:

The air was full of dust. The gray sky suited the gray reality that took over the gray routine of those who are forced to arrive at the checkpoint.

A resident of one of the villages by Nablus, with whom we sat at the shed leading to the checkpoint which served as a refuge from the dust and heat, told us that he had lost all hope for a future that would be better than his hard, tiring and exhausting present. For year he had been working at the Atarot Industrial Site.  Ever since the checkpoints had been interconnecting the West Bank and preventing the freedom of movement, he heads back to see his family only on weekends.

The passage to the other side of the checkpoint, the Jewish side, took 25 minutes.

At the lane that was meant only for men a thin stream of sewage water flowed from the checkpoint outside and the smell integrated in the thick/burdening air.

During the past months, when we show your IDs to those sitting inside the aquarium, they enter our ID number on to the computer before giving us a hinted hand movement without a making a sound, but adding: "get out of my sight..."  

Are the authorities going to hand us with some sort of token of appreciation or note of rebuke after entering our details a hundred times? Or perhaps this is just an obscure threat?  

New on the Wall:

1.

With Yasser Arafat from the right and "The Scream" homage to Munch) to the left, a new portrait of Maruan Baraguti decorates the wall.

One of the children that peddles at the checkpoint came to us and said that the artist had started drawing Maruan on the wall by the checkpoint, where once his portrait had already been drawn, but removed as part of the cleaning work before the Ramadan, but he was sent away by the army.

Affirmation to this can be found in the hair lain of Baraguti's head, which was to be the beginning of this drawing, before the artist was sent away.

2.

By the pillbox observing over the refugee camp and emerging from the sealed wall, was a drawing of a small green twig with stares and butterflies.

3.

Behind the wall which is outside the parking lot, is a new writing: "El Quds".