QALANDIYA, 24.1.2011,PM

As Phyllis is away Dalia who is not a member of Machsomwatch offered to go with me to Qalandiya. We arrived at 3.30 to find two windows open and no problems.
3.30 There were 7 people waiting to get into the DCO but after a phone call they were all let through. But a man and woman with their daughter of 17 came out very distraught and the girl was crying. It  turned out that she had an interview tomorrow at the American Embassy for a visa to visit her brother in America whom she has not seen for over 10 years. She was in tears and we could not understand why they had been sent back. We phoned the Moked and Qalandiya headquarters and C(hen) said that he would do his best to help. In a few minutes they went through again and then came back saying they had been sent to the post office. I do not know by whom but as the woman said they have never been to the DCO before and asked that we should please go in with them.  I think they simply did not know where to go. I phoned C. again and asked him to have them let through again…he himself  was not in the vicinity…and to have the soldiers on duty allow me to go through with them. In a few minutes all 4 of us went through and I sat and waited and lo and behold within 5 minutes they were out all smiles and waving the permit for tomorrow.  It is seldom that we are able to help people with so little effort and so much goodwill as there was from C.
 
We went through to the Israeli side.  The woman soldier was surprised when she saw that I was a Jewish Israeli and wanted to know what we were doing there. She had evidently never heard of Machsomwatch and I simply said that we were a group of women who documented what was happening at the checkpoint. She was pleasant and there was a steady stream of people going through with no intervals or delays.   On the Israeli side of the checkpoint we saw 2 soldiers sitting in the booth watching the cars going through to the area of Qalandiya but they were not checking or delaying and cars…at least now while we were there.
 
At about 4.45 there was only one window open but though there were about 10 people in line and 40 outside we timed a wait of about 20 minutes both inside and out. A surprisingly easy day….for us. 
 
We left at 5.15 and in the dark got lost coming back but a very nice taxi driver put us on the right road to the circle.
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