Number of Soldiers Present: Four
Soldiers Names, ID #’s, License Plate #’s, Etc:
Events Witnessed:
Long traffic lines (double-triple lanes) of cars and trucks in both directions, especially from Ramallah. Hundreds of people pouring through, carrying small to large bags and young children carrying their school bags as they tread across the checkpoint.
Cars and trucks waiting between 1˝ and 2˝ hours in the sun. Checking of IDs for each car takes about 5-10 min. Soldiers take their time before allowing the next car to pass, alternately between the sides. Vehicles can pass if they have a “permit” (medical certificate or travel permit), ambulances and official medical personnel, food provisions, building materials and some other supplies.
Commanding soldier initiates a conversation with us.
A school bus with eight small children has been waiting in line for 1˝ hours in the sun. We ask if the soldiers will allow the school bus to pass. The soldier volunteers to go with her to bring the bus to the front of the line.
While this goes on, young boys continuously push wooden box-carriages back and forth with all kinds of loads (suitcases, boxes, bags), without the carriages ever being checked for their contents. Only one young man gets stopped and delayed for 15 minutes. The young man comes from a village nearby and says that the Israeli soldiers detain him everday. He says he does not know why.
I ask the soldier if he thinks that anyone with a bomb will pass through such a checkpoint, would you? He stated, maybe not... but if somebody tries we can catch him.