morning

Aram & Qalandia, Wednesday December 31, 2003 Watchers: Neta E, Magdalena H, Sylvia P General: The whole area was quiet and open and according to the veteran members of our group, nothing happened during our shift. Aram: We were there for a few minutes. People stood after a line. Each one advanced and had to show his or her ID card and was allowed to pass. When one passed, the next advanced to the checking soldier. It looked like a very polite situation. It moved quickly and the queue was short. The soldiers were unknown to our veteran members. They told that they belong to Hizme and they claimed that there is no need to record their names since they will be there only for a few days until a new unit is placed. Since the place was very quiet we continued to Qalandia . Beit Hanina: On our way we walked into Beit Hanina, to a place where soldiers use to “hunt” people who try to avoid the checkpoint. We climbed roadblocks and reached them. They asked us why we avoid the checkpoint. We answered that we came specially to pay them a visit. They told us that their morning have been rewarding since they caught several people. But they didn’t give details and made clear that we were disturbing their mission and asked us politely to leave. Since there was no detainee we continued to Qalandia. Qalandia: The checkpoint looks dirty and ugly. But people moved quickly, like in Aram. There is a shed built there to protect the people from rain and sun. But both sides of the shed were closed with barbed wire and people were passing around, under the sky. It was not dramatic since it was not raining but we can imagine how it will be during rainy days. On a hill near-by there was a female soldier with a gun. She was there to stop anyone trying to avoid the checkpoint. Since she was on the hill, when she turned to us her gun was down, exactly in our direction. It was “fun”. There was a detainee standing in a corner, besides the female soldier manning the checkpoint. He knew neither Hebrew nor English but he managed to tell us that he was there since 6:30, he is going to work in Ramallah, and the soldiers took his ID card. Well, checking the ID card took 2 hours. It is the time limit to detain a “suspect” and check his ID; I wonder how long it would have taken if we were not there since it is clear that the “detainee” had no booklet with the list of “rules”. A young French lady, who was going to Ramallah, took a picture of the checkpoint. She was stopped and asked for her journalist ID. She didn’t have any and the soldiers started claiming that it is a closed military zone and no one is allowed to take pictures – only journalists. Neta claimed that 1. It is not a closed military zone and 2. She has checked it already and that there are no photographing restrictions. The girl was allowed to pass after a few minutes, with her camera intact. Then we exchanged a few words with Captain Shadi, who was very nervous – it seems that our presence didn’t add to his peace of mind. While Neta was talking with him, one of the Palestinians passing through us whispered “God bless you”., A Ford Transit driver that tried to steal the queue was stopped and he asked for help. But Shadi was too nervous and there was no point to argue with him. We left him in Shadi’s hands not deserving those words that were whispered on our back because we didn’t do enough, because checkpoints exist and because we are part of the nation that has built them.