Afternoon

MachsomWatchers: T.S., N.I., S.A., Ch.B.Guest observer: Lori - a reporter of the AP Agency When we arrived at the Qalandiya checkpoint we heard shots from the direction of the fence. Children were throwing stones, the soldiers were throwing canisters of gas. However, at the entrance to the checkpoint we met with an incident of violence of another kind. A father with a blue ID was trying to pass with his 15-year-old son who looked much older. The soldiers claimed that the boy did not have the necessary documents, and the father tried to prove to the well-known Shimon that the boy was too young to take out such papers. He showed him the boy’s birth certificate, but to no avail. The father became very angry and tried to pass, over the objections of the soldiers, and the whole affair turned very violent. Shimon chased after the boy and suddenly an armed civilian, with “Egoz Unit” written on his shirt, ran out of the checkpoint, grabbed the boy with great violence and pulled him back to the checkpoint. The father tried to defend his son and the soldiers attacked them. At this stage, a policeman interfered and explained to the father that if he had not started shouting, everything would have gone quietly. This even though we saw the father before that, trying to explain to Shimon what the situation was.Obviously after that they were allowed to pass.At this stage, we split up into two groups: one group staying at the checkpoint, the other going to the fence with the reporter. At the fence, children were throwing stones at the soldiers. It developed into a game: the children would throw a stone and the soldiers would retaliate with gas. At some stage we heard shots but do not know from where. Tovah phoned Na’amat (who was at a meeting); her replacement put the phone down on her -- maybe they could not hear because of the noise. Faris also disconnected his phone; Shadi said the affair was not connected with him. We tried phoning “Mivtsa'im shel Benjamin” and spoke to someone called Shiran. An hour and a half later and after many more phone calls -- to Shiran, Elad, Meital -- everyone said they would help, but we were helpless.! In the meantime we went to the checkpoint, where there was a long line of cars stuck in a traffic jam. It turned out that commander of the post, Amit together with the MP Nadav who was with his soldiers at the fence, had decided to close the checkpoint until the drivers of the cars would persuade the children who were throwing stones to stop. Until they did so, the checkpoint would remain closed. The embarrassed drivers tried to explain to the soldiers that they had nothing to do with the affair and that there were more checkpoints on the way. They were told that in that case they could get into their cars, listen to music, put on the air conditioners and wait. One man explained to us that he had a pacemaker (!) and asked us to help him as he did not feel well, but the soldiers would not listen. They just told us to move off. We phoned the Physicians for Civil Rights and spoke to someone name Hadas who did try to help. She also told us to give her phone number to the other women. An ambulance which tried to pass was allowed to do so, but because of the traffic jam it was very difficult. The Moked [IDF Humanitarian Alert Center], which is supposed to have someone there 24 hours a day, did not reply. Only when darkness fell did the checkpoint open. The pedestrian lines were very long but moving at a good pace. People with special problems who tried to pass through “New Jersey” were generally allowed to pass after our intervention with the CP commander, Amit. A 15-year-old was arrested as the soldiers said that they recognized him as one of the stone throwers. 3 of them grabbed him brutally and his arm twisted back and then bound behind him. He was then put in the "butka" [sentry-post booth] and the soldier went in after him. Amit said that they had called the police and the boy would be arrested. (Note: The MachsomWatchers of Tuesday should follow up on this.)Amit did not like the presence of the photographer and tried to take her recording equipment from her, but returned it when she said she would turn to the IDF spokesman.Summary: It was very violent at Qalandiya today.The Ar-Ram checkpoint was empty.