Ar-Ram, Jaba (Lil), Qalandiya, Sun 1.6.08, Morning

6.45 A-Ram. Children of all ages
wait on the Jerusalem side of the checkpoint for their
friends who are still being checked and these children soon appear. The taxis
wait to take them to school. The smaller children have been born into the period
of the checkpoints and all their lives they pass between cement blocks. Fences
and walls with strange soldiers pointing their guns at them.

7.25 Jaba. Many car especially
taxies moving slowly.

Qalandiya. Long orderly lines and
nothing moves, no gate opens, dead silence. The ecumenical workers tll us that
they arrived at 4.45
in a special taxi. When they arrived there were 120 people
in line and only one turnstile open and so the passage was slow. At 5.30 The
soldiers arrived to open the other turnstiles and the humanitarian gate at which
15 people waited. All of them sick. They only went through at 6.30 and until
then they simply waited. These are people who cannot push and shove in the usual
lines but they are expected to stand for hours on their feet. We contacted the
commander of the DCO and two minutes later the people started to stream in to
the promised land. When they got in they waited at the turnstiles and those
sitting in the shed who had arrived early joined them. We have worked out that
in the morning people wait an hour at least before they get from the shed and
the waiting area to the actual checking.

8.40 Jaba quiet and no one waiting.