'Anabta, Qalqiliya, Mon 22.12.08, Afternoon

Natanya translating.

Qalqiliya
13.40  When we got there the queue of 22 cars were at the entrance to the city. A reserve soldier came up and asked if he could help us. We asked why there was such a line of cars in the middle of the day. The soldier said that there was no pressure. But we saw a maintenance car stuck in another lane and the soldier explained to us that due to this only one passage was being used and therefore one lane was alternated for both directions. We did not understand why the service car had to be in the centrer of the lane.

15.35 A regiment of soldiers wearing yarmulkas is manning the checkpoint. At the southern post a soldier motions for a cars to pass with a wide motion of his hand and the traffic streams through into Tulkarm, including cars with a yellow license plates. On the other hand at the exit is a line of 30 cars which wait about 15 minutes to pass.

A soldier comes up and asks if everything is all right and we say yes except for what is not all right. He asks what we means but a car bringing doughnuts cuts off the conversation. The line at the exit shortens.