Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Thu 18.12.08, Afternoon
15:00 PM, Etzion DCL: thursday is the day allocated for inhabitants of the village Beit Fajar to be received at the DCL. When we arrived, at about 15.00, we met six Palestinians who had no numbers for the queue. Two of them were there to have their finger-prints taken, two for magnetic card renewal, and two to apply for new magnetic cards. Even before we met the Palestinians, one of the soldiers told me that today, after two days of absence soldiers were sent for weekend leave, and that there was therefore only a limited number of soldiers at the checkpoint. According to the army, 100 magnetic cards were issued, but according to the Palestinians only twenty-seven numbers had been distributed since the morning . . . . When we arrived, not one person had received a number except for an elderly man who was waiting for a relation after he had been processed by the civil administration. When we entered the waiting room, the soldier who was at the outside reception window consented to allow everyone to enter, and after about half an hour they all came out. Two had renewed their finger-prints, two their magnetic cards.. The last two had been asked to pay the stamp-duty, because each one was charged 85 NIS for a new magnetic card. We descended to Beit Ummar to congratulate Abed Voum and Jidi on their healthy return from the Haj at Mecca.
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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