Morning

A quiet morning in West Jerusalem. 4 BP at the gas station. At the New Gate on top of the hill, there are already drivers organizing rides down the hill to Al Quds university or to the busines scenter. The soldiers prevent people from climbing the wall. A father helped his 2 clean little school children across, and as he walked to his car he discovered that the remote control key to his car was lost. He climbed over the forbidden wall a couple of times because he just couldn't find it. Other people were arbitrarily allowed or refused to climb. 2 men's IDs had been taken at 6am, and they were still waiting. When the soldiers sat down in the shade for breakfast, the students and working people could cross by climbing, squeezing, jumping over the ugly blocks. At 8am there is a changing of the guard. A jeep arrives, soldiers return the orange IDs of the waiting men, and oversee their return to the Palesetinian side. As soon as the jeep drives off, the men climb right back and hurry to work in Sallah Adin street. The new group of soldiers walk down the street, shouting and making animal sounds, and we could feel they want "action". People stand on the side and watch them in amazement. They look so violent, including the woman. When we asked them to identify themselves, they asked us for our own IDs, to teach us the rules. The father looking for his remote key gave up, but managed to activate his car and drive his children to school.