Al Nashshash, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Wed 19.12.07, Morning
Rachel’s Passage, El Nashnash, Neve Yunis, Etzion DCL
A rainy day with no activity requiring our intervention. Today is the first day of the Muslim festival “Idl El Adcha”. Laborers don’t want to go to work except for a few Christians who pass through Rachel’s Crossing (Bethelem CP).
The Etzion District Office's Police Officer, Maher, isn’t there and there is no replacement. A Palestinian, who had been instructed by Maher to deal with his problem with the police to has to return home because there is no admission of the public today (of course there is no notice in the District Coordinator’s office explaining this).
In the waiting room of the Etzion DCL there is a notice that there is no admission for Palestinians to receive magnetic cards between 19-31 of the month.
In El Nashnash we meet a Palestinian who has been refused entry to Israel and now that the refusal period had elapsed he is still facing difficulties.
In Neve Yunis “the heavens are weeping” on Abu Muhmad, who died of a broken heart; the new “coffee house” that his son is building with the help of friends is completed. There are no customers there due to the festival.
It seems that a kind of “eating mall” is being built there, with competition for space, and food being sold for pennies.
A-Nashshash
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A-Nashshash
Junction on Road 60 from leading to the southern outskirts of al-Khader, to Salomon pools and to Bethlehem. Until 2015, a blockade at the junction prevented the passage of vehicles from the south (from Hebron) to Bethlehem and from there to the north of the West Bank and vice versa, and a small market developed at the junction, with taxis serving both directions on two sides of the blockage. Until 2015, Members of MachsomWatch police reports team would come to the scene to receive and return traffic violations reports for payment (possible only in Israel).- from Palestinians without a entrance permit to Israel. There is usually no military or police supervision i n place.
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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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