Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Mon 26.4.10, Afternoon
14:00 pm, Etzion DCL: a
rriving shortly after 14:00, there weren't many people waiting although the computer system had "collapsed" again today and it was difficult to obtain information. The soldier on duty at the till was not present all the time and it was difficult for the applicants to hear and communicate with him. A Shabak representative showed up at the windowand conspicuously told the soldiers not to talk to us.
Two people were awaiting the Shabak. One of them was summoned for questioning at 12:00, arrived at 10:00 and was received at14:30, when his identification card was returned to him and he was given a new summons for the day after tomorrow.
The young looking Shabak man wasn't talking to us– probably trained to avoid contact. The young Palestinian emerged very angry – he was delayed for four hours at Allenby bridge, summoned to the Shabbak and now again – what do they want of him?
There were some medical cases:
(1) This involved the Peres Peace Center – they were taking care of a person in need of Rehabilitative surgery scheduled for the following day. They took care to obtain permits but these had been issued in Bethlehem and not in Hebron,causing a bureaucratic tangle: at Beit El they wrote out a remark but failed to mention the permit at Bethlehem and therefore they could not issue a permit. A phone call to Beit El solved the problem: and the woman received her permit at 16:30. The husband did not receive a permit, as (a) there was no such application; (b) he was a Shabak refusee; (c) the woman's brother was accompanying her and had a permit.
(2) A young person complained that his daughter had undergone heart surgery on Thursday but he was not allowed to join his wife at her bedside. The surgery seemed to be very serious and we intend to pursue the matter further.
(3) Another case of a child's heart surgery came up: a couple arrived, complaining that their request for a permit was refused yesterday, so today they came again. The DCI claimed that there had been no such rejection and there was no reason to refuse them.
4) A young person arrived, his face blindfolded, complaining that he was refused passage because of a problem with his fingerprints…
Finally, all passed through.
A final remark: I had assumed that finally, after eight years with Machsomwatch at the Barriers, I would not be seeing so many cases of people being denied access to their hospitalized children. How would I react if I had been in such a situation?
Bethlehem (300)
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Located adjacent to the Separation Wall ("Jerusalem Wrap") at the north entrance to Bethlehem, this checkpoint cuts off Bethlehem and the entire West Bank from East Jerusalem, with all the serious implications for health services, trade, education, work and the fabric of life. The checkpoint is manned by the Border police and private security companies. It is an extensive infrastructure barrier and is designated as a border terminal, open 24 hours a day for foreign tourists. Israeli passport holders are not allowed to pass to Bethlehem, and Palestinian residents are not allowed to enter Jerusalem, except those with entry permits to Israel and East Jerusalem residents. Israeli buses are allowed to travel to Bethlehem only through this checkpoint.The checkpoint, which demonstrated harsh conditions of crowding and extreme passage delays for years, started employing advanced electronic identification posts and has upgraded its gates' system as of the middle of 2019 - and conditions improved.Adjacent to the checkpoint, in an enclosure between high walls and another passage, is the historic Rachel's Tomb, which is now embedded within a concrete fortified building. It contains prayer and study complexes for Jews only, as well as a residential complex. updated November 2019 .
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Etzion DCO
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serves residents of Bethlehem and surrounding villages who need magnetic cards, work permits for Israel, permits for one-time entry for religious or health reasons, various police permits, etc.
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