Qalandiya

A reasonable day – for Qalandiya

05.15. We parked in the checkpoint parking lot, which was quite full. The tea kiosk was just then opening, and the beigel seller was already in the hut. All 5 checking stations were already open and there was no queue. One of the signs above the station was out of order but the station itself was open. Inside the ‘aquarium’ (the cubicle where the soldier operating the turnstiles sits) was a policeman, relieving the soldier who soon returned.

05.35. From this time queues began to form at the checking stations and the turnstiles, which had been open till now, were closed. At first a line formed in only one sleeve, but gradually three queues grew as more people arrived, and the hut became very full.

Right from the start we noticed a group of men sitting on one of the back seats. Their number grew until they became a large, animated group. At one stage, two of their members approached us . Apparently they all work for the same employer who is not paying all that they are entitled to.  They decided to protest and to strike, and are not going to work today. We gave them the phone number of Kav la-Oved.

Towards 6 a.m. the D.C.O. officer arrived.  With the policeman’s help he opened the humanitarian gate for those ‘entitled’.  The gate remained open, but the officer was very strict about who was entitled.  One person sent back was an old man on a stick.  Last week we saw the officer call him from the regular line and open the gate for him – but this time the policeman prevented his using the humanitarian gate! He complained to us that everyone, except this policeman, lets him through. People in the regular queue allowed him to squeeze in among them.

At one stage it looked as if the queues were about to collapse, but a couple of people took responsibility for reorganising the lines.  Towards 7 o’clock the lines began to get shorter. Meanwhile a policewoman replaced the policeman, and was joined by two security guards. At 7, the D.C.O. officer left. Women who arrived after 7 were sent to the regular lines. At 7.30 we left.

On our way back to our car, we saw that the parking lot was crowded, cars parked every which-way. Our car was blocked in by a car, but its owner came running. She had taken her son to the checkpoint as he had to go to Jerusalem.  She apologised – there was simply  nowhere to park.

We drove back via A-Ram.  The checkpoint there was manned. Cars were not stopped for checking – but for some reason were being directed to side track on the right, where the road was very rough. We came through Hizme checkpoint.  Thanks to the school holidays, traffic was light and we quickly reached the town centre.