Reihan, Shaked, Sat 2.2.08, Morning

07:00 Reihan Checkpoint

Taxis wait in the upper parking lot to take people to work. We walk down to the checkpoint, but are stopped on the way:  Passage to the lower parking lot is by car only. We are surprised, and ask them to clarify, whereupon permission for our crossing is granted

07:10 – in the lower lot the yellow gate opens. By the pedestrian gate 30-40 people are waiting, and being admitted by fives. Occasionally a sixth person tries to enter and is immediately sent back with a rebuke. People are coming (from the West Bank) by taxi or on foot, including the seamstresses (elegant and pleasant as always). We buy tea and halva. Walid doesn’t look good (though he says that everything is okay). Under the roofing a pallette with sacks of sugar (one kilo packages) and another product that we can't identify.

07:30 – all the waiting people have entered the terminal. We go to meet them cas they come out. At the vehicle checkpoint, cars are being inspected in threes. The dogs are barking.

07:40 – they start to come out in the direction of the Seam Zone. The seamstresses emerge at 08:00, some 40 minutes after they have arrived. Somebody says that the rooms are not working fast: "We’ve been inside since you were drinking tea at the entrance. One of my brothrs still hasn’t come out. It is like this all day – and what are you doing about it?" The young man we are waiting for emerges only at 08:25, an hour after entering.

08:50 Shaked Checkpoint

Only one wing of the gate is open. Thin traffic. Whoever comes – passes. One person (from Tura) says that on Friday permits were confiscated from people who had not returned the previous evening.

The soldier in the post shouts to us. Among the words we catch: "What are you looking at?"

09:00 – we leave.