Bethlehem and its vicinity, Sunday 4.6.06 AfternoonObservers:Yilana H, Hagit S, Boaz A (a guest photographer) 15:30 It was extremely hot. At Ezyon DCO there were about 40 men, women and children waiting on the staircase to the carousel, in the waiting shed or outside. They were waiting for magnetic cards, permits having to do with medical treatments, and permits that enable them to drive with their privet cars in different part of the west bank (in the past this permit was handed out by a different office). Among those who were waiting were two women who handed in papers they received from a hospitals in east Jerusalem (Moksad and Augusta-Victoria), they had been there since nine AM and were still waiting to be called in to receive their permits. Yael S. and Itai from the DCO had intervened, eventually, after waiting for 8 hours (!), the two women finally received their permits. The drinking water in the waiting shed was warm, the fan was on but you couldn’t feel its effect. The loudspeakers shrieked and caused the people who were waiting to jump each time it made a sound, it was so loud that they couldn’t understand who was called to come in. The pace was very slow, and from time to time we heard a rumor that the computers had collapsed. Maher was walking back and forth (it was the first time he was there after a long absence), he confirmed that the computers had, in fact, collapsed. Some of those who were called in, after waiting for hours, were told to come back the next day. Some detainees had asked us to send a request on their behalf, to remove their prevention; we informed Silvia of this so that either she or Yilana will take care of it, after they get the necessary information. At the gate, waiting for the secret security service, was a young man who got an summons to meet the commander Yuval at Har-Manoach DCO. He didn’t speck Hebrew and I tried to help by finding out where this DCO was. Of course I couldn’t call the secret service and ask where it was, and the soldier who stood at the gate wouldn’t help. The only way to solve such a riddle was by adopting the Palestinian’s way and waiting. I waited until a person from the secret service came out and explained to the young man where the DCO was. At Nashnash passage, that is replacing the passage in El Khader, there were plenty of taxis but few passengers are there at such hours. The merchants had closed their businesses for the evening. We didn’t see any soldiers, not there and not on our way back through Walleje Jerusalima.