Qalandiya

Ar-Ram: Coming north to Ar-Ram, we
notice a checkpoint for traffic going south at Shuafat. At Ar-Ram
the soldiers are friendly with no complaints where we stand.
Vehicular and human traffic running smoothly. We notice an iron
barricade that causes the people entering to jog, not follow a
straight line, about 50 meters from the checkpoint. This is because
of the explosion in which no one was hurt here at the same time of
the explosion at French Hill two weeks ago. Down below there are
two soldiers, little foot traffic and no one being
held.

Qalandya: What a mess! Rubbish everywhere. Cement blocks here and
there. A little barbed wire here and there. Traffic coming in
several directions.

At Qalandya North the people waiting in line are very quiet, and
proceed in an orderly fashion without prodding. Now and then when
heads are turned, people who have been refused entry manage to
enter. One young woman came to us crying bitterly and asked for
help. She said she was a student with a permit. We asked for help
for her. After checking her, it was ascertained that she was not a
student and had lied. After she was refused entry again, and heads
were turned, in a blink of an eye she was heading south!

In the hills toward Tora Bora we saw two soldiers moving about,
apparently looking for illegal entries.

Cars waiting in line for 1 1/2 hours. When we asked the three
soldiers checking what is taking so long, the only answer we
received was not to stand there.

As we left there was an additional checkpoint at the traffic light
that takes you to Neve Yaacov.