Qalandiya

A heavy morning at Qalandiya.

05.20 When we arrived we found long queues stretching into the parking lot. All 5 checking stations were open and it was not clear why the lines were so long, early in the morning.  Luckily it was not very cold.  The beigel seller was praying, the tea kiosk open.

Having a visitor, a photographer from Paris, made us look afresh at sights we had perhaps become hardened to. He is preparing photographs for an exhibition to be held in Paris to mark the 50 years of occupation.  We went outside to examine the queues, and everyone there complained about the conditions. The lines progressed slowly and we feared there would be a sudden collapse.

At about 6, 2 guards arrived with a Border Policeman.  Apparently the border policeman was the police representative today.  We were happy to see that the guards were organized to open the humanitarian gate without waiting for a D.C.O. officer, and indeed, soon afterwards they opened the gate.

We went outside again, for tea, and to show our visitor the vehicle checkpoint and the traffic circle which was chaotic. Cars facing the checkpoint were blocking all the routes so that cars driving from Jerusalem could not proceed towards A-Ram and Ramallah.  The drivers showed amazing patience. We showed the visitor the green notice, which is so easy to miss, warning pedestrians not to approach the car checkpoint, and told him about the ‘killing area’ where anyone approaching on foot is shot and sometimes killed.  A young motorist opened his window, listened, and nodded in agreement.

We returned to the pedestrian lines. The situation had not improved and the lines were still reaching rhe parking lot. By now the D.C.O. officer had arrived and was opening the gate together with a guard. Meanwhile a tall young man took on the responsibility of maintaining order, especially at the entrance to the cage near the aquarium which has a wide opening, often encouraging crowding and pushing. He prevents people who have been turned away from the humanitarian gate and others from forcing their way in. But at one stage he himself has to join the line as he has to go to work- and then the pushing begins and the left line collapses. The other two lines proceed quietly.

A young man who noticed our photographer, came to us and showed us a video he made one day when the lines collapsed.  Everyone complains about the state of affairs. They have heard that the checkpoint is going to be enlarged, but it is clear that it will take a long time before they will feel any benefit.  No one speaks of an end to the occupation …

It took a long time for the pressure to ease. Fortunately the guards continued to open the humanitarian gate even after the D.C.O. officer left.  At one point the soldier in the aquarium took fright at the sight of our photographer.  He called  guards who insisted that Shlomo not photograph their faces or the area where they were standing (although for a whole hour they had seen him photographing, without saying a word).  So as to preven any conflict he promises to comply.