Qalandiya

05.20. Three queues extended deep into the parking-lot.  In spite of the frequent opening of the turnstiles by the soldier (and afterwards by her replacement), the lines didn’t seem to get any shorter until after 7 o’clock.  The x-ray machine in checking station no.1 was out of order. The soldier announced frequently – and clearly – that only people without bags should go to that station. At one stage it was closed completely, but re-opened. On two occasions the guard and policewoman opened the humanitarian gate to allow large batches of men without bags to go directly to the checking station, to relieve the main queues.

The humanitarian gate was first opened at 6.20 – and this was by a guard, who was later joined by a policewoman. A D.C.O. officer arrived quite a while later – and left early …

At about 7.30, we joined a queue which was by now well within the shed, passing through the checking station in 30 minutes.  The delay was caused partly because a woman inside didn’t know the procedure for placing her belongings in the machine, and the soldier could instruct her only in Hebrew which she didn’t understand. The rest of us, waiting behind the turnstile in frustration, were too far away to help her!