Bethlehem, Thu 24.12.09, Morning

Date: 24/12/2009 ,Morning

Observers: Netta E., Yehudit E. (reporting)

Al Nashshash

South of Al-Khadr, served as transit from Bethlehem to Route 60. A concrete block obstruction prevented vehicular traffic from south (Hebron) to Bethlehem and the northern West Bank. A small market developed there to replace the market of Al-Khadr. Taxi ranks on both sides of the obstruction. Usually, no on-site military or police supervision.

Close description

04.30 AM, Bethlehem Side of theBethlehem Checkpoint: Bethlehemis decorated with multi-cloured lights in preparation for Christmas. We are asked by a Palestinian policemen topark in a parking lot and not at the roadside, to allow the patriarch’s processionto pass. On the way to the checkpointthe Shouk (market) is already full of life, supplying coffee and food (theyrefuse to take money from us). Later-onthe traders will be forcefully told to leave before the patriarch’s processionarrives.

Thereare already about 150 people queueing at the checkpoint; the first ones alreadyarrived at 02.00, and are waiting for the checkpoint to be opened at05.00. In the meantime they light bonfiresto keep warm. Both the ordinarycheckpoint and the humanitarian checkpoint open at 05.00. The turnstile at the humanitian checkpointrotates only in the opposite direction, meaning that it allows people to exit,but to enter only with difficulty. Outside, there is a lot of activity by thePalestinian police. A car belonging tothe district coordination office appears, accompanied by a military jeep fromthe Kfir brigade. We report the faultyturnstile and are told that it’s repair has already been ordered.

At around 06.00 the queue lengthens, but within aquarter of an hour it shortens again. Extraordinary efforts are apparently beingmade today to keep the queues short.

We decide to try to locate the bottleneck which iscausing the slow crossing. We enter viathe broken humanitarian turnstile. Thefemale soldier in the inspection booth and the non-commissioned officerindicate with a hand-wave that we should pass. After a short conversation with the latter we follow in the steps of thePalestinians towards the magnometer inspection machines. Only two out of three are in operation. Although the passage through the machines isrelatively quick, we come to the conclusion this is indeed the factor thatslows-down the flow of people through the checkpoint.

At this point a policeman arrives, and informs us weare being detained for contravening astanding order of the divisional commander and obstructing a policeman in hisduty. While he is speaking on thephone, apparently with his his superiors, he tells us that we are not beingdetained but arrested. This about-turnends with us being taken to the Ozpolice-station by a policeman who realizes that his time is too valuable towaste on two elderly women who don’t look particularly dangerous, especially since there are no grounds for us tobe arrested.

Because of these circumstances, we regret that we areunable to attach any photographs. Wehave updated our lawyer, Gabi Laski.

We return to the checkpoint in a police-car in orderto collect our own car, which – as we pointed-out – we had parked in theparking lot next to it.