7.00 am, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300:  people reported that passage was quick. 

Two  posts were open.  When  there was a change  of  soldiers, the soldiers and the (friendly) civilian security man spent a few minutes in hilarious joking while a quite a long line formed of workers anxious to get through.

One man approached us.  His brother has a police problem.  Chaya gave him her phone number.

7.30 am,  Husan taxi rank:  two prearranged meetings for men to sign power of attorney and to pay court and lawyer’s fees.  There were also a few phone calls  from people needing to go to the DCL.  Chaya advised them to wait until she could check if there was a police officer on duty.

8.10  am, Etzion DCL:  the waiting room was packed with people applying for magnetic cards.  People were being admitted through the carousel.  There were also a few people waiting for the police.  We gave Chaya’s phone number to one man, in case he couldn’t make police contact this day.

As there was no reply on the police phone, Chaya phoned the regional officer.  He seemed surprised at our insistence on checking and said there would be an officer on duty ‘in an hour’s time’. During the morning we made a number of calls to check so as to advise people whether it was worth their while to make the long trip to the DCL.   There was no reply on the phone. Finally, at 10.30 people waiting at the DCL reported to us that a police officer had just arrived.  (We were told at 10 o’clock that there were five people waiting.)   The official reception hours as posted on the wall-notice are 8-12.  Apparently the previous day there was no police officer on duty at all!

8.45 am, Beit Ummar: we gave Sylvia’s phone number to two men refused entry by Security.

9.00 am,  Nabi Yunis: two appointments on Sylvia’s behalf.  As we had unfortunately run out of power of attorney forms, Chaya arranged to send faxes as soon as she got home.     

 A note about faxes:   Two weeks ago I reported that when we learned  that ‘the system was down.’  Chaya arranged with the police officer to have two applicants’ documents faxed to them.  Well , in the end they refused to do so.