Reihan, Shaked, Sat 23.2.08, Morning

07:00 Reihan Checkpoint

In the upper parking lot , vans are waiting. A garbage truck is waiting for permission to pass. In the flag square, planters rest on wooden stands.

In place of the garbage dumpster there is a sign: "Parking for Residents of Mevo Dotan and Hermesh." We learnt: the Crossings Authority (Checkpoints) grants (free?) parking to settlers from these two places.

07:10 – the yellow gate is open. Some 50 people are standing by the pedestrian gate leading to the terminal. A cold and unpleasant morning wind.

People enter in fives. Sometimes a sixth person tries to enter and is immediately sent back. People arrive in taxis and on foot. The seamstresses did not come this morning.

A man from Kapin, who cultivates what little is left of his land, chats with us about the difficulties of maintaining an olive grove and of transfering of the crop to Yabed. And in the Seam Zone everything is more expensive. Our companion invited us to tea at Walid’s stand. He will enter the terminal later. In any case they are now waiting in the rooms. Walid is sheltering himself from the wind. He is lying between the wall of the hut and his own table. Inside the hut ate three stacks of egg trays.

07:30 – nobody by the gate. Whoever comes goes straight in. We go to meet people coming out of the terminal

At the vehicle checkpoint, three vehicles are checked in parallel. The dogs can be heard whimpering.

07:45 – people begin to come out. By 08:00 most of those we've seen earlier by the gate are out.

Traffic in the opposite direction, from the Seam Zone to the West Bank, is as on every Saturday. Festively dressed people , children and packages, students.

08:15 – we leave for Shaked. We pick up two handymen who work in Shaked.

08:30 Shaked Checkpoint

"Control Point – Shaked" – wonderful (don’t worry, it’s only a sign)!!! After two years that this sign has faced the opposite direction, we now find it lying among the weeds.

Only one wing of the gate is open at the checkpoint. Only light traffic. Somebody scattered plastic bags full of sand by the gate, perhaps to slow down the trickle of traffic? Who drives fast through there?

08:45 – we leave, back to Reihan.

At Reihan, the pedestrian traffic is light. Six cars wait to be checked. Four are being checked.

09:00 – we leave. [L]