Sansana, Tue 11.12.07, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Nurit S., Patti (reporting)
Dec-11-2007
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Afternoon

We arrived at 5 p.m. To our surprise there was a long line of workers waiting to be checked to get through and go home. In the past when we came at this time there were almost no workers, and never a queue.

The workers quite angry that it was taking such a long time. Only one of the checking stations was open.

Nurit went inside via the carousel to check.

Guards in the area suddenly got quite agitated by our presence, had no idea who were, etc. In the meantime, Nurit called Shlomi, the new head of the now civilian checkpoint, who came out to meet us –after getting Nurit out of the locked holding pen where the workers were waiting.

Shomi is terribly nice and was very polite and understanding and non-confrontational. He explained that the changeover had just happened the day before and there were some inevitable 1st day breakdowns, something which sounds entirely reasonable. One of the stations had stopped working, but as we were speaking, it was fixed and the line started moving through quickly. Shlomi assured us that the most important thing was to be as efficient as possible and “to improve service to the public that uses the terminal.”

He promised to help women at Machsom Watch in any way possible, but insisted that we promise not to enter through the carousel again.

We left with the feeling that the new border terminal was “almost like normal life”.