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Dec-20-2003
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Ruti B., Edna L., Dalia S. Tamar A. Saturday 20.12.03, 9:30-11:30 We arrived at the checkpoint and immediately saw more traffic than we had seen a few weeks ago. At both ends of the checkpoint soldiers were posted at all times in shooting positions – barrel cocked at finger on the trigger (a new sight for us). There were only a few pedestrians on sight. The soldiers, men and women, most of them in their active army service, had only been posted in the checkpoint for the past week and weren’t familiar with “Mahsom-Watch”, and thus were surprised to see us. An army reserve officer, older than the rest, explained us to the others and calmed them. The soldiers allowed us to pass from one end of the checkpoint to the other, which was forbidden in the past. On the exit from Qalqiliya there was a line of cars which passed within half an hour (maybe even less). Random checkups were made. A few pedestrians – their personal belongings were checked, and they were examined with a metal detector.On the entrance to Qalqiliya - a line of cars which passed in ten minutes, all checked. One car with a Swedish passenger and two Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, was stopped while the soldiers examined the passengers identifications.The three belonged to a Palestinian-Israeli-Swedish organization named:“Economic &social development center of Palestine.”After twenty minutes or so only the Swedish citizen was permitted to pass.The Israeli citizens were not allowed to enter, although they had a permit proving that they belonged to the same organization. They waited outside the checkpoint for their friend for the entire shift and afterwards (two hours and more). They expressed their regret at the bad reputation that develops as a result of these kind of events. Pedestrians with blue identity cards (Israeli citizens) were not permitted to enter. They were sent to the DCO, which doesn’t work on Saturday. In the past women were allowed to pass and men were not. We phoned Rami, the commander of the Qalqiliya DCO, and he said he would pass on our request to let the women through. The commander of the checkpoint, Avi, said he didn’t know who Rami was and could not accept orders from him through the phone. Rami said he would pass the orders through to the DCO. A family of four children, aged 5-6 and under, arrived at the checkpoint. The mother is Palestinian, the father Israeli without a certificate from the DCO. The father is approximately 55 years of age, looks older, very shortsighted – nearly blind. Among their belongings were plastic containers with food. They arrived from Beer-Sheva. Avi, the young commander, forbade the father from entering, although he admitted that it was obvious the man didn’t pose any kind of security risk.We talked again with Rami and with Halabi from the DCO, with no avail. It seemed that Avi wanted to help, but was afraid to go against the regulations.Finally, after we talked with him for a while, he called the “war room” and passed on the father’s identification details. After half an hour the father was approved, and he joined his family that had passed though earlier.