Passing through the checkpoint

On Sunday I went to Jerusalem and have two snap-shots to share, both involving entering and leaving Jerusalem through Qalandia checkpoint.

The First Snapshot: Too Close for Comfort

I was sitting in the back row of seating on the bus that transports Palestinians between Ramallah and Jerusalem. Beside me was an old man in a grey suit and with a smile that seems to come from the heart. When we reached the checkpoint, I pulled out my passport in anticipation for the Israeli soldiers who check the papers of all commuters entering Jerusalem. The old man beside me looked at the passport.
'Where are you from,' he asked me softly accented English
'Australia,' I replied
'Welcome, welcome' he said, smiling at me.
A soldier entered the bus - a young woman, though perhaps 'a young girl' would be a better description. She was younger than I am and her gun hung loosely to her. Her mannerisms were bored as she scrutinised people's ID cards and papers, taking her time. She reached the back of the bus. As she stood in front of me, the nuzzle of her M16 nudged my legs. I tried to move out of the way but with every movement she made it swung towards me again. I hated the feel of it.

An Afternoon Spent in Jerusalem

Soy cafe latte
Croissant
Cafe culture
Shopping malls
Designer clothing stores
And, of course, proliferation of religious symbolism

The Second Snapshot: Let's Make Them Wait

Once more we approached the checkpoint, this time heading back to Ramallah. Usually vehicles are only stopped and searched while entering Jerusalem, not leaving. Today, however, the Israeli police were stopping cars at random and searching them. But instead of pulling them aside, out of the path of traffic, the police stopped them in front of the other vehicles, holding everyone up. There were three police officers took their time. Five minutes went by, ten minutes... The line of waiting traffic grew and the other passengers on my bus started craning their neck to see what was keeping us. When the police finally finished their search of the vehicle, they stepped back and allowed the traffic to begin to move once more. As we passed them, they were leaning back, lounging against their vehicle, smoking and chatting to each other. One of them looked directly at the people in the passing vehicles.