I Saw it in Palestine

Further Adventures in Absurdistan

What do five pitas, one container of hummus, one can of canned tuna, one small bottle water, one or two slices of cheese, a few spoonfuls of sugar, and 5 to 10 olives have in common?

That's all that a private security company is allowing Palestinians to take through the checkpoint they run. Any greater quantity and they have to be checked as someone transporting commercial goods.

But let's not beg the question - why is a private company responsible for running a checkpoint, any way?