Afternoon

E-Ram, 4 pm. An ambulance carrying a patient from Ramalla hospital back to Hebron detained for around half an hour while IDs are checked.Qalandya South, 4.30 pm, no checking.Qalandya North, 4.45 pm. The longest line of pedestrians we have ever seen in Qalandya, probably because the checkpoint had been closed until 2 pm. Many detainees caught in the quarry, waiting for their IDs. Several soldiers and volunteers, the commander was Ariel. One of the volunteers, a woman with very short hair, spoke a bit of Arabic, very rigidly going "by the book". 'It is all because of you' she said 'Until you came they turned around quietly'. A woman with children was questioned. Her child was carrying a toy pistol. Ariel said 'You can play with this in Ramalla, but not at the checkpoint. Here, it is suspicious'. Mulla, a higher officer from the DCO, suddenly appeared. We asked him about the last few days 'persecution' of taxis. He admitted that there was a new order from above, that all Palestinian taxis should be forced to go towards Ramalla, and not be allowed to gather in their (until now) usual space on the north side of the checkpoint. When we asked him why then windows had been smashed in the process he answered 'That cannot be'. 'How can you be sure', we insisted. But he still denied it. A teacher who lives on the south side of Qalandya checkpoint, and was on his way home, presented his teacher's certificate (with his photograph, stamped, incased in plastic coating, very formal). 'This is forged' said the short haired volunteer, and sent him away. 'But why?' we implored. She had been told by an expert that the handwritten certificates were forged.... But he also a magnetic card, which again showed his photograph, said he was a teacher, and was printed. Still Mulla refused to interfere. 'The volunteers know best', he said. Four teachers were denied entry, who just didn't seem to comprehend it, they weren't young and didn't know what to do. These certificates were perfectly valid. The teachers eventually gave up and were going to cross through the quarry, but 'hunting squads' were roaming there, so they stood in line again. By then a higher officer from the DCO had arrived, who allowed many of those who had been denied before to pass; a very pregnant woman caught in the quarry while bypassing the checkpoint was released under his orders and allowed to pass. Later, he scolded one of the soldiers, telling him that they had received many complaints, some of which were justified. So we suggested to all the refused people (most being people who live in Abu-Dis or E-Ram, Bir Naballa, places on the South side of the checkpoint, who must pass to return home) to stand in line again, and indeed some were more successful this time. The officer left, and the hostile, rigid attitude returned. A woman carrying a baby and a small child clinging on to her garment who only spoke Arabic, had no ID. 'Go back' Ariel the officer said aggressively. 'Maybe we can find someone who speaks Arabic', we suggested, 'That is not my duty/job, if she cared she should have brought one. She can't pass'. Some detainees received their IDs back. Most not; an old woman from Hebron with her daughter-in-law, who had been visiting her daughter, an elderly man who asked over and over again: "So where will I go, where? One soldier accused a detainee of cursing him, and was about to hit him but for our interference. Darkness was coming down on all of us like a shroud. The officer in in charge of the hunting squads arrived with dozens of IDs confiscated in the quarry, and many other IDs confiscated hours before, among them an ID of a pregnant woman who was sitting on the ground, and waiting at least since we arrived (more than three hours before). She was handed her ID back but not allowed to pass, which brought about a cry of rage and despair. A woman volunteer (long hair, and glasses) grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the little hut, pressing a rifle against her. The hut was immediately surrounded by other soldiers, with everyone shouting, us, the crowd. It all happened very quickly. She was released by the short-haired volunteer who then also allowed her through. We left, it was after 8 pm. When we were about to drive off in the Transit, a friend rushed after us to tell us that a man who complained to the soldiers about the woman had been dragged into the hut. But he was soon released.