Qalandiya, Mon 19.3.12, Morning

 Translation: Judith Green

06:30
As we approach the parking lot, the usual high level of noise from the long lines, shouts and their accompanying shoving.  Next to the Humanitarian Gate there are at least 100 people standing, women and children, in silence and not really understanding what is going on, why no one is opening the gate for them.
We contact the DCO and, 10 minutes later, an officer and his guard arrive and open the gate.  There is still pushing and shouting, people fear lest they shut the gate in their faces.  Two policemen come.
There is a short consultation, they open and close it two more times.
Everyone leaves, and only one soldier is left in the booth.  He decides that the time has arrived for saying the morning prayers.  He dons tefillin and once in a while he opens the metal cages, without anyone supervising or determining what the special needs might be of the people going through:  small children on their way to school, mothers with children in their arms, students and adults.  Everyone is in line for the turnstiles.

The whole subject of the passage through and the proper inspections was not handled professionally this morning, careless and thoughtless.
The inspectors looked like substitutes, not suitable for the job.
They didn't care about anything that was going on in this sensitive and awful place.