בית לחם (300)
Second Friday of Ramadan
9:00 to 11:00
Bethlehem Checkpoint
Like last week the access road to the checkpoint is blocked. This time they allowed me to leave the car close to the blockage.
2 windows are open. Only men pass through the checkpoint, the women pass around, although this week as well the number of Palestinians passing is nothing compared to the number of passing during a “normal” Ramadan.
Like a week ago, a huge fan greets those who are passing. Again and again men stand next to the good wind, with a big smile.
The women-soldiers are occasionally busy with the security guards, but there is a soldier and security guard, who are swiftly passing people aged 50 + after a brief glance at their identity cards instead of them standing in queue. Anyway there is hardly any queue.
A few are turned back because they are younger than 50 and do not have a permit.
3 young women from the United Nations arrive. One is on her way to Bethlehem, another one is returning to Jerusalem and the third one remains at the checkpoint. I explain to her about MW, she says she is a volunteer (not an employee of the UN and therefore has no insurance and is not allowed out of the office in Jerusalem. Today, exceptionally, they allowed her to get out for a while). She came for three months because of an urgent need for manpower. I explain to her the required separation between men and women and show her where the women are and she decides to go see. It turns out she had a difficult experience and luckily Hannah was there to rescue her. Hannah arrived at the checkpoint and told me. She will probably write about it in her report.
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 .
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