Qalandiya, Sun 12.4.09, Afternoon
Irit S', Yehudit K', Roni H' (reporting)
Easter Sunday, Intermediary day of Pessah, Jerusalem is one big traffic jam, bursting in all seams.
Qalandiya, 16:00
An heavy north- and southbound car traffic, accompanied by impatient honking of the horns. Empty buses in a queue to Jerusalem, waiting to pass the control and to pick up their passengers, who had all to go through the pedestrians' passage (including children and elderly).
Checkpoint economy at its best. An enterprising person has opened a car wash station at the foot of the wall with the graffiti and the business seems to go well . Instead of nerve-racking waiting, have your car renewed by washing! Right opposite the soldiers' booth and in full view of the soldiers, sits an elderly Palestinian with his cart and offers boiled corn (tiras ham) to the waiting drivers. He obviously succeds with his original offer. It is good to see again these signs of vitality in the midst of the oppressive environment.
The watch tower is black of smoke and the smell of smoke is still in the air. We could not find out what has happened here.
At the pedestrians' crossing relatively few people. There is holiday closure
and only Jerusalem residents with blue ID can pass. One station is open and very soon a long line is formed.The wait is 20 minutes. When the female soldier checks us she inquires in genuine curiousity, if we are not afraid amidst of so many Palestinians. When we negate she obviously does not believe us.
Happy holidays!