Rihan, Shaked

Rihan, Shaked, Thursday, December 30, 2004, AMObservers: Chedva H., Leah R. (reporting)10:15 - 12:15Rihan: As soon as we arrived at the checkpoint, we were approached by one of the CP commanders, who asked us politely but firmly to avoid talking with the soldiers and not to get closer to the concrete cube.We saw that few people go through that post. There is easing of the closure and Arab Israelis with blue ID cards are now allowed into the West Bank. The post operates properly, for the time being. An old woman who could hardly walk, leaning on a younger woman, and with them, a man on crutches, approached the pedestrian inspection post. They started walking toward the vehicles' far exit. In our opinion, the distance was impossible for those people, given their condition, and we asked the checkpoint commander to allow the driver who was waiting for them to pick them up closer to the CP. Permission was granted, to everybody's satisfaction. Once again it was proved that good will can never hurt.At the vehicle inspection post, the commander turned to us and asked, amiability, if we had any questions. We asked about the recent hostility toward us. His answer was that we come and watch a situation that doesn't look good and hurry to report it without knowing what preceded it. According to him, he needs to educate the Palestinians who arrive at the gate to be obedient, because at all times we are under the threat of a terrorist attack and actually each one of them is a suspect. We agreed that it would be prudent to have such conversations from time to time.Shaked: Around 12 we drove to the Shaked gate. We met a group of school children who had already passed through and were on their way home.