Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nuaman, Tue 22.12.09, Afternoon
Afternoonshift, 2:30 till 5:00 PM. Nice weather, one day before Christmas. Christians are trying to get permits in order to visit their relatives in Israel.
3:00 till 3:30 PM, Etzion DCL: today the situation is different from other visits at the same place and the same time. Today there were many more cars than usual ( 11 cars with Palestinian numbers , one with TV equipment, and one with an Israeli number ), all parked in the parking lot. Inside the building in the big and heated waiting room (with an open door) were 2 Palestinians waiting for their permits to visit Israeli relatives during Christmas. All the other claimants were invisible and could not be heard. It was as if they should be hidden from the eyes of observer.
Because of this situation we did not help anybody as we could not see any passers. The soldier behind the turnstile greeted us in a friendly manner.
Nuaman (Mas Moriah or Maavar Har-Homa): we were the only car crossing the checkpoint at about 4:00 PM.
4:20 till 4:50 PM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: workers were going home (almost no tourists at the checkpoint). Four counters were open and the soldiers were working properly.
At one counter the people were showing their papers by entering them into a slot, got them back from the slot. No soldier was visible. I wanted to see how this was working and peeked into the cabin. There was a soldier almost lieing on his seat so that he could not be seen from outside. When he noticed that I was observing him, he got angry, called a guard and asked for my identity. I told him that I was from Machsom Watch, but had forgotten my tag. I gave him my ID. He ordered me to leave immediately the building, which I did.
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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Nu'man (Mazmuria)
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situated on the Wall route as part of "Jerusalem Envelope," in its southeastern stretch, east of Zur Baher, Um Tuba and the small Nuaman Village, on Beit Sahur road, the checkpoint will serve as the main crossing for commercial goods from the southern West Bank to Jerusalem.
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