Bethlehem Friday morning, 11 June 2004 Watchers: Shosh H., Magdalena H. (reporting), Orit K., a new watcher CP 300 is nearly empty of people. Four male detainees standing in the sun with their faces to the wall. An older man and woman are also being detained, but they’re sitting on the side in the shade. One man told us that he’d been apprehended at Rachel’s Tomb and brought to the CP, and he hadn’t even been on his way to Jerusalem. We gave the detainees cards with contact info for the Moked (Center for the Defense of the Individual). The soldiers didn’t agree for us to talk to the Palestinians and they asked us to leave the CP. In the valley, a Border Police jeep pursued older [adult] Palestinians who were trying to avoid the CP. A private car with millions of settler bumper stickers pulled up next to us. The woman driver took a fast photo of us and continued into the CP without waiting in the line of vehicles that had built up in the meanwhile. Al Khadr. No soldiers, but a lot of yellow taxis and pedestrians. People told us that they were very frustrated because of the situation in general and as it affects them personally. Hossan is nearly completely surrounded by a new barbed-wire fence. Etzion. At the traffic circle, no soldiers, but a lot of eastbound traffic. Beit Jalla CP. Soldiers checked two ambulances. An older man serving as a volunteer [reservist – reinforcement to CP staff] told us that he is more leftwing than we are, and added that the soldiers at this CP are behaving very appropriately. A young soldier with two more weeks to go on duty here told of feeling insulted by a Letter to the Editor published lately in a newspaper, written by a member of MachsomWatch who quoted Palestinians who accused the soldiers on CP duty as “having no humanity.” We spoke with the soldiers quite a lot — we sensed they really had a need to talk about their discouragement with their situation.We returned to CP 300. The detainees from the morning are still there, and also new ones. The soldiers told us very clearly, already from far away, not to come into the CP, not even to approach it. A few settler women waiting for the bus welcomed us with very unpleasant talking, before we even opened our mouth. They were very aggressive. Fortunately, their bus came and carried them away.