Reihan, Shaked, Tue 10.8.10, Morning

Translator:  Charles K.

06:00  Reihan-Barta’a
The seamstresses arrive at the gate to the terminal on their way to the seam zone, and are subjected there to a rigorous “hamsa” (five-at-a-time) process.  If a sixth person should enter, the inner revolving gate locks until she is goes back and closse the main gate behind her.  Even so, however, people cross quickly, 25 entering in less than five minutes.

Pickup trucks transporting merchandise are already visible in the inspection area, and two cars are also waiting to enter.

Many people can be seen hurrying to work through the exit corridor of the terminal.  We’re told that yesterday afternoon, when returning from work, the laborers were detained at the entrance to the terminal for about an hour and a half.  Apparently our presence is particularly required here during that time, especially during Ramadan which supposedly begins tomorrow.

07:00  Shaked–Tura
The gate on this side of the checkpoint is already open, but there are no people yet next to the revolving gate near the inspection room.  A. arrives in the DCO pickup truck, stops in the middle of the checkpoint where people approach him from time to time with their ID’s and documents.  Y., whose white Transit has no passengers, says that they haven’t made any problems for him recently when he returns from the West Bank.  He entered the inspection area at 7:07 and drove on at 7:17.  The banker follows him in and exits six minutes later after repeatedly presenting his green ID, apparently because of his new car.

People go through very slowly.  Seven men and women (apparently students) wait a long time next to the door of the inspection booth.  “They’re not working,” says a driver who exits at 7:40.

We ask a nice female soldier to accompany us.  In response to our surprise that the computer delays people for so long, she says:  “Do you think our life is so boring that we’re purposely holding them back?”  We made a written note of that pleasantry and promised here she’d be able to find it, word for word, on our web site.