ג'למה

Marcia L., Translation

14:00 – 15:00

I returned a father and two sons from Rambam Hospital in Haifa to jalama Checkpoint, and stayed to observe the checkpoint.

A few minutes after 14:00, male and female workers started to return from work.  The female workers who work in agricultural villages , live in the area of Jenin.  Most carry large sacks full of fruit from their labors.  The male workers -  some of them agricultural workers and some of them in construction and other types of work.  Some of them approached the shed and prayed before the left the terminal on their way home.

Most of the people arrived by organized transportation in minibuses.  Fewer arrived in private transportation.  I enjoyed a coffee that one of the drivers offered me. 

14:30

A minibus that was not for workers arrived and next to the driver sat a man from the Red Cross.  The travelers returned from a prisoner visit.  “They traveled to visit their children,” the driver explained to me.  Sad.

An elderly man, who no longer needed a permit to enter Israel, complained that “old people” like him, are allowed to pass through in the morning, only after 07:30, and that is too late to begin a day’s work.  I don’t know what is customary at other checkpoints.

The area around the checkpoint is clean and orderly.  A gardener cuts the blooming plants that separate between the parking lot before the terminal and the vehicle checkpoint.  The gardener is a resident of the Palestinian village of Jilma, that is next to the checkpoint.  When I told him that the checkpoint is named after the village, he corrected me; the checkpoint is called “Gilboa.”

At the vehicle checkpoint, there is a very long a line of Arab Israeli cars on their way home.  At this hour there is also a shorter line of cars on their way to the West Bank.

I saw beyond the fence that there is activity at the merchandise checkpoint.

15:00

Minibuses continue to arrive.  There is no pressure at this hour.  I leave.