Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Mon 19.1.09, Afternoon
Etzion DCL: we returned to a day of Bethlehem, two days after the end of the war in Gaza.Today we arrived before noon.Outside 10 persons, 2 are waiting for the secret service since morning, one gave his greetings to Sarah “she knows me well and she is dealing with my case for a long time”, he said. And was waiting for him to be called.The people come out one by one with magnetic cards or with the announcement that they need a new card and thus need ‘income stamps’, and nobody is allowed in.
Nothing moves and we go on to Beth Umar – maybe our absence will speed up things.
Beit Ummar: we deplore the deaths of children and toddlers in Gaza: “ This is difficult for all of us and sad and this is not political” they say and we hurry back to the DCL.
Etzion DCL (again): we got back at around one o’clock – nobody was allowed in and the situation is exactly as when we left half an hour earlier.We wait until this round is finished and they allow those who are outside to enter. “Don’t worry, in another five minutes I will take in all” says a soldier who has taken the place of a friend who went for lunch after he was leaning over the reception table and it looked like he was asleep. And really all entered one by one, without any pressure since still they don’t come to get magnetic cards. The soldier who is replacing his friend says: “Yalla” (a not so polite expression), and we say “Please” you might be polite, and the soldier accepts our approach with a smile and is friendly to the Palestinians who enter and leave with their luggage through the magnetometer. After that they take a number and after that they take their luggage – in order not to forget to take a number for the line.
A conversation developed with the soldier who usually works upstairs and not behind the window.A third one came for the secret service – and this time I did not contact the humanitarian desk but directly to the spokesman and to the assistant – The Head of Civil Administration Dvir – because these persons are summoned every week to be investigated by the secret service, with interminable waiting, without ID’s and nobody to talk to.
We feel that at least it cannot be said that we did not speak up.
In the evening one of the people who were waiting to be investigated phoned to tell that he was taken inside as the first one at 14:00.
Beit Ummar
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Beit Ummar
The Gush Etzion-Hebron road - which is the main axis of the southern Hebron Mountains - passes through the boundaries of the village. Many incidents of stone throwing occurred on this section of road. There is a checkpoint at the entrance to the village.
In March 2006, a 25-dunam land seizure order was issued around the settlement for the purpose of establishing a "special security area" (SHBM) and a warning fence around the nearby settlement, Carmei Tzur. In April 2019, 401 dunams of the land of the villages of Beit Omer and Halhul were expropriated for the purpose of paving a road that bypasses the house of Omer to the east. Demonstrations are held by the villagers against the seizure of land with the participation of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists.
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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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