November 27, 2002 — Mudeif Productions

*The crowded chaos of the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem*

We left the Old City at 6:00 in the morning. Arriving at Qalandia, we waited for passengers to fill the car. An hour and a half later, we left the checkpoint, but not before getting to watch the morning Jerusalem-Ramallah (and reverse) commute. The old West Bank taxi stand outside Damascus Gate has relocated to this intersection. Cement blocks and army vehicles are everywhere, making the line of cars into and out of Ramallah interminable. Most of the commuters have given up and simply walk across through the dust and mud. Thrown into the mix of this are Palestinian drivers going the wrong way, trying to skirt the clogged roads in order to get to their destinations. A tank soon passed by, emitting white exhaust as it went. There was an immediate panic, as people assumed it was tear gas - fortunately, it wasn't.

Later, a police jeep showed up, also making its way up the wrong side of the road. A taxi and a civilian car didn't move fast enough out of its way, so were their drivers were detained. A crowd of onlookers gathered, from a distance. One young man got too close, and the police man barked at him in Hebrew, swinging at him and landing a punch on his neck. The two drivers were eventually let go. Finally, the taxi filled up and we made our way back towards Zababdeh.

New settlements sprout out of the desert, boasting green instead of the traditional red roofs. The area around their homes is lush and green, while the nearby area remains native desert. Checkpoints were the easiest part of the drive, though we were turned back at one and had to take a longer way around. All in all, it was a four and a half hour journey (normally closer to an hour), making Marthame late for class.

Tubas was open along the way, the army having just left - people were out on the streets in force, most of them carrying brooms to clean away the dirt that had gathered from the days of curfew. Meanwhile, the Jenin school bus arrived - albeit late after having to stand (full of children) for two hours for the tank that blocked their path to move. Marthame had a faster commute from Jerusalem than they did.

In the evening, we went to visit friends whose son was celebrating his first birthday. It was a chance for the extended family to gather together and celebrate and coo over the little ones - a favorite pastime here. Elizabeth brought the video camera along, asking them to reflect - both in English and in Arabic - on their experiences over the last two years. The last week in particular has been tough on people in our area, with both Tubas and Jenin regularly closed off, not to mention the horrific reports of civilian casualties that are coming out of Jenin and Nablus. The filming gave our friends a chance to express and relieve some fears and frustrations related to recent events - as one student said, "The situation hinders our education."