Qalandiya

Very easy morning

All five checking stations were open when we arrived at 5:30 a.m. and there were no lines, as the turnstile at the end of the left “cage” was open to all comers and even when the soldier on duty closed it from time to time, he took care to let everyone on line through the next time he opened the turnstile. And that is how matters remained throughout the shift. Like us, the DCO officer who arrived at about 6:00 was surprised by the situation. We all assumed that after the  closure on the first Sukkot holiday there would be crowds of people and long lines at the checkpoint. Perhaps some of the workshops and industries in the nearby Atarot industrial park were closed for the entire Sukkot holiday. The officer did not open the Humanitarian Gate as people proceeded to the checking station area almost immediately upon arriving. At 6:30 we likewise walked directly through the “cage” on the left, passed through the checking station almost immediately, and left.