Scott Lewis

Black and White: Beyond The Bullets

A Palestinian businessman talks on his cell phone before getting in line at the Qalandiyah checkpoint in Israel. The checkpoint is the main thoroughfare for pedestrians and drivers traveling between Jerusalem and the West Bank towns of El Bireh and Ramallah and the surrounding villages. The rules of the checkpoint are dependent on the Israeli soldiers that are on duty. Who gets through and who doesn't and how fast the traffic flows often changes daily. Sometimes travelers are stuck for up to three and four hours waiting to get through. The checkpoints are a major source of frustration for the Palestinians who feel humiliated by the intense screening of those passing through. The Israelis say it is a necessary security measure to catch potential smugglers and suicide bombers.
A Palestinian businessman talks on his cell phone before getting in line at the Qalandiyah checkpoint in Israel. The checkpoint is the main thoroughfare for pedestrians and drivers traveling between Jerusalem and the West Bank towns of El Bireh and Ramallah and the surrounding villages. The rules of the checkpoint are dependent on the Israeli soldiers that are on duty. Who gets through and who doesn't and how fast the traffic flows often changes daily. Sometimes travelers are stuck for up to three and four hours waiting to get through. The checkpoints are a major source of frustration for the Palestinians who feel humiliated by the intense screening of those passing through. The Israelis say it is a necessary security measure to catch potential smugglers and suicide bombers.