Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Sun 22.2.09, Afternoon
15:20 – 16:30 PM, Etzion DCL: when we arrived the parking lot was full of cars, but the waiting area was empty. We asked the soldier how many people were inside, but though very polite, he said he did not know. We waited until 16:30, when the last person left the office. There had been around a dozen inside since we arrived.
A Christian Palestinian from Bet Jalla asked for our help when we arrived. His wife, an Israeli who resides in Haifa, was about to give birth to their child and he was seeking a permit to visit her. On the 15th of this month he had applied for a permit and at !4:36 had been given one only till 22:00 that same day, which would make it very difficult for him to go to Haifa, visit with his wife and be back in time. Today he was told that the officer was not there and that he should go home. We called N., the officer in charge of the DCL, and he explained that the man should have filed a request at the Palestinian DCL, but they would try to help him anyway and he was let in. We assume that he was not helped after all as he left so quickly that we did not even see him coming out again.
16:45 PM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: the checkpoint was empty when we arrived. We waited until one man passed within a few seconds and we left..
Bethlehem (300)
See all reports for this place-
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 .
-
Etzion DCO
See all reports for this place-
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.
-