Qalandiya, Tue 21.2.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
By our count, during recent weeks there’s been no difference between the number of people going through the checkpoint on a “good” day and the number going through on a “bad” day. The only difference lies in the speed of the inspections during the early morning hours. If only three inspection lanes are open before 06:00, there will be congestion that isn’t relieved until after 08:00.
All five inspection lanes should be opened at 04:30 to prevent the extreme congestion that continues all morning.
06:00, after the shift change, is too late to open all the crossing lanes. The pupils, women and merchants arrive at the checkpoint to find it completely jammed, with the laborers still stuck on line, and everyone suffers.
Qalandiya – 06:00
It’s freezing outside, about 3 degrees Celsius. The checkpoint is packed. Only three inspection lanes open, only about 20 people on line at each. More than 300 laborers wait on the regular line, about 60 wait for the humanitarian gate to open, and about 50 more sit on the benches under the canopy because of the congestion.
The two ecumenical activists arrived at 04:30; they report that not only were there just three inspection lanes open the whole time, but that people weren’t admitted to the line quickly. Until 5 AM the line in front of the revolving gates
was orderly, but then the younger men arrived, forced their way to the front and everything fell apart.
Qalandiya – 06:30
During the past half hour, 395 people entered for inspection.
The humanitarian gate first opened at 06:10; 92 people went through and were sent to inspection lanes 4 and 5. Not everyone waiting managed to go through; they waited 25 more minutes for the gate to open again. Some of the children joined the regular line, which continued to be as congested as it had been when we arrived.
Qalandiya – 07:00
During the past half hour, 460 people entered for inspection. The inspection lanes are congested.
80 more people had entered the inspection lanes by the time we left. The inspection lanes are congested, and the congestion doesn’t cease outside either. About 200 people still wait on the regular line and about another 70 on the humanitarian line.
Again – the problem is caused by not allowing people to cross as quickly as possible in the early hours – before 06:00. There’s no way to eliminate the congestion if all the inspection lanes are manned only after the congestion has become unbearable.
The ecumenical activists joined the line at 07:30 and got through inspection only at 08:05. That’s already too late for most of the laborers, pupils, teachers and physicians.