Checkpoints

I have just gone thru a checkpoint for the third day in a row to leave the West Bank, and it is always interesting. You just never know what to expect. Saturday morning I was riding with a friend, and we debated which checkpoint to use. One is a much prettier drive, but as we had a full day ahead of us, we decided to go thru the closest one. We drove up and you have to stop your car maybe 20 to 30 yards away, get out, and walk to the booth where the soldiers are to give them your passport. They said that I could not go thru that checkpoint. My friend, who is not shy, reminded them that according to the law, internationals are allowed to leave the West Bank at any time. They said that I could leave, just not thru that checkpoint. I would need to go thru the one that you walk thru. She could drive and meet me on the other side. Rather than do that, we drove to the one that we thought about going thru in the first place and were waved right thru, without even having to come to a complete stop. Sunday afternoon I went in to Jerusalem thru the one you walk thru. I took a cab to the checkpoint. I am not a great estimater of distances, but you have to walk about 25 yards in what I would call a "corral". It is just narrow enough that 2 people cannot walk side by side. There is a soldier in a booth there and you have to show your passport. Then you go thru a turnstile, and you walk across an asphalt area and back into a single file walkway. Then you go thru an electric turnstile that one by one a few people go thru while the green light is on, and then they stop it so that you cannot turn it. When the green light goes back on, everyone behind you tells you to go! There your bags are checked and you have to walk thru the metal detector. You collect your bags and proceed to a booth where you have to show your passport again. After that, you are done! Sunday was not too bad. There was a tour group in front of us that slowed things down, but we made steady progress. This afternoon, a Danish pastor who is spending some time here and I decided to walk to Tantur, which is an "Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies". Anyway it is right outside of the Wall. The line went slowly today, and when we got to the booth with the soldier, she was putting on mascara. Amazing!! Hopefully this will one day be a land of peace and justice.