יום ב' 15.10.07, בוקר

04:25 Jalame Checkpoint

The checkpoint is still closed, and there is no one here but us. Six Israeli cars are waiting for workers from the West Bank.

04:40 – four sleepy soldiers arrive, surprised to see that the checkpoint is closed. The DCO tells us that from today the checkpoint is returning to work from 05:30. Do the Palestinian residents know about it? The DCO doesn’t know.

04:50 – R. responsible for operations arrives and tells the soldiers to go and sleep, and be back (at the back to back) at 08:00. He also doesn’t know if anyone bothered to update the workers about the opening times.

05:00 – the checkpoint security men arrive with the checking equipment. We have no way of knowing how many people are waiting at the checkpoint. The parking lot is filling up with waiting Israeli drivers.

05:45 Aanin Checkpoint

The soldiers are now opening both gates of the checkpoint. We try to enter the compound in order to see who is waiting below. The checkpoint commander protests the invasiuon in vulgar language. The soldier watches us alertly until we return to stand outside the gates. Only then does he relax and return to his duties.

06:15 – nobody has crossed the checkpoint as yet. From the distance we hear angry voices. A soldier is shouting and sending people back.

06:25 – still no one has passed. The DCO calms us by saying that everything is okay, we just have to wait a little longer. Again we try to cross to see what is happening on the other side, beyond our view. The same soldier threatens us: "If you again..." he will close the checkpoint.

06:30 – three quarters of an hour after the opening of the checkpoint, the first people emerge in small groups. It becomes clear that they collected all the IDs to list them as present, and only after that did they begin processing passage and exit.

07:10 – so far some 50 people, donkeys and a number of tractors have passes. Among them a family with chjildren on a sick visit. Ten oir so people arrive at the last minute: shouting and protests don’t help – they are not going olive picking because they were late.

People tell us that on Thursday the soldiers did not record some of the people coming through, even though they were reminded. At the hour of return, as anticipated, those who were not recorded encountered difficulties. Only after argument and an hour oif waiting, were they allowed to return home.

At the festival this year, Israelis were not permitted to visit relatives in the West Bank by way of Aanin. They were sent to the "regular" checkpoints.

A resident of Aanin whose wife is from Um el-Fahm, and who lives there with their children, complains that they weren’t allowed to come to him for the holiday through Aanin. They were sent to Taibe. The children called out to him, and the soldiers were witnesses to the scene, but they did not let them through. In Aanin there are many married to Israelis and who live separated from them.

Two men in their fifties, who went olive picking this morning now returned. The wife of one of them had been taken to hospital, and they were asked to return home. They explain to the soldiers, who say that they must wait. Towards the closing of the checkpoint, they reject the requests of the two and don’t allow them to return to Aanin. Only in the afternoon! Indifference or simply evil heartedness. We try to convince the stubborn soldier, and he throws at me "shut your mouth!"

07:20 Shaked (Tura) Checkpoint

Still holiday – no schoolchildren. Few crossing into the West Bank. From the West Bank people are coming to pick olives.

08:00 Reihan/New Bartaa Checkpoint

Few coming or going at this hour, families and individuals. We are told that the Shahak workers and seamstresses crossed this morning as usual. Pick upos loaded with eggs, sheep and vegetables are arriving for inspection.

In the vehicle area, a man is urinating on the side. No toilets. Still none. Complaints about little livelihood. They had a sad festival. Walid shows the decorations on his bike: a PLO flag, a horn, etc. Child...

09:20 – We leave.