'Azzun 'Atma, Habla, Mon 18.6.12, Morning
05:55 'Azzun 'Atma
A very long line of workers. We can't really see the end of the line, but estimate that there are at least 100 people waiting. When the turnstile opens, 12 people run through each time in order to wait next to the inspection booth with their documents. Today the inspection is very fast (about 3 minutes for the whole group), since 2 computers are operating. The process of going through is rather strange (perhaps this has been described in the past).
The workers arrive, leave their bags, packs and tools outside the gate, and get in line. After they have gone through the turnstile and their documents have been inspected, they have to ask the soldier to open the locked gate again to get out, to find their bags which they left outside and to come back in through the gate. Then they have to go with their belonging to a table which stands within the area of the gate; to be checked by the military police who are standing there and only then to exit through the gate and to hope that their transport hasn't left yet.
The driver of the transport for the quarry workers understands their problem and their anxiety about not getting through on time; they are already at the gate at 04:00.
06:22
The line shortens but new workers arrive constantly. The boss who employs the worker at that they have to remain fair and that at the exit from Habla there are workers who have been waiting to get to work since 05:00. She speaks to him quietly, in spite of his anger and shouting. Aside from the fact that only one computer is working, and that it is very hot, for some reason they do not let the Palestinians wait next to the turnstile which is near the inspection booth, something which causes a lot of additional wasted time between the groups. We try to convince, politely, the soldiers and the officer to improve the passage time, but this happens only after a long time. The soldiers are polite and the officer tries to speak to the Palestinians in Arabic.
07:50
The workers get through in 3 minutes. Again, 2 people arrive who want to enter Habla-- and they have to wait until 2 groups of people come through from the other side, since that is only fair.
08:15
The line is shorter and we leave.