Qalandiya, Sun 24.6.12, Morning

Translator:  Charles K.

1.  At 05:30 the five fenced corridors were open.  There was no line; people went through an open gate.

2. The officer arrived at 06:00.  Three long lines formed but the gates opened frequently so the lines quickly became shorter.  The humanitarian gate opened; corridor no. 5 was set aside for people using it.

3. From 06:00 to 07:00 more people arrived.  The lines lengthened for a short time but the revolving gates opened and people flowed through quickly enough.

4. People were calm; they said they were pleased they could go through without delays.  

5. We tried to develop a friendly relationship with the efficient officer.  We felt he held back, was defensive, perhaps felt uncomfortable that we were watching him, felt we were judging him.  When we asked “How are things?,” he replied:  “Terrible.”  We didn’t understand why, so I asked: “Why? Are you in a bad mood?”  He answered, uncomfortably, “I don’t feel so good.”  I mention this embarrassing scene in order to set the discomfort against the defensive response, which is the result of a complex situation in which both he and I are responsible for the same injustice, but while I identify him as the representative of those carrying out the injustice I situate myself as a representative of morality, rejecting all his actions and their implications.

6.  The filth and garbage here are only a symptom of how disordered is the daily fabric of life at the Qalandiya checkpoint.