Al Jib (Givat Zeev), Qalandiya

5:00

We saw that the line was very long and we also felt a certain fatigue and quiet in the air.  Right away we understood that this feeling was caused by a soldier who directed people very quickly and other soldiers who also did their work at the checking booths quickly.  At 6:00, the Humanitarian Gate had still not opened and, when we asked  the policeman, we didn't get an answer but rather the statement that, since he was already characterized by us as "not nice", he was refusing to talk to us.  We can only hope that this principle doesn't include all the policemen.  Of course, our sign says clearly "women against the occupation and for human rights", and not "women against policemen"!  

Since we felt that all the workers would go through within half an hour, we left before the hall was empty and traveled to the checkpoint at J'ib.

Jib checkpoint

6:30

At the entrance we were already aware of the disorder and that people had been pushing and being pushed since 4:00 and had still not gone through.  Inside, we saw a very long line moving very slowly.  Since there was only one turnstile operating, the women stood on the side, because they couldn't be shoved in among the men.  For a while now, we have been meeting groups of women who work in the garment workshops in Givat Zeev;  today they were sitting on the side.  We asked them and the men what was happening and they reported that for 2 weeks the situation has been intolerable.  We reported this to the DCO and the soldier at the office said that Jib doesn't even belong to the "Jerusalem Envelope" jurisdiction.

We also stood in line and everyone let us in, in the hope that we would be able to help.  We discovered that a single soldier, who opened the turnstile, checked documents next to the window and also carried out  the whole procedure of electronic security inspection!  They told us that a jeep of the DCO was in the area but they didn't do anything.  It was so difficult to watch the people, who were so exhausted, that we thought that perhaps their employers could help to "upgrade" the treatment, because certainly workers who aren't exhausted are preferable,aren't they?  It was sad to be at the most pastoral checkpoint in the Jerusalem envelope,  and face the crowding in the inspection lines of all kinds of people who actually have proper work permits in their hands.  They asked our help and we promised that we would come frequently to Jib.