Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Mon 2.2.09, Afternoon
12:00, Etzion DCL: around 20 asking for magnetic cards: “For an hour already no one has entered.” In the 50 minutes that we are there, four come out with magnetic cards.
A woman soldier resolves the enigma: “There’s a virus rampant, no manpower, only one soldier making magnetic cards and it is complicated.” Output is a card in 12.5 minutes, so people wait.A disabled man selling coffee surreptitiously says that Nevuani drove him away today, and threatened to bring the police to fine him 1500 shekels: “But how do I bring food to the children?” So he doesn’t sell coffee any more. And Hana B. got the official response: no business done at checkpoints…
Waiting for Shabak, at first we thought one but three more arrived. Now the Shabak not only summons by phone from home, but also invites applicants for magnetic cards or permits for a talk. Their ID cards are taken from them, and they wait.
Two waiting for a policeman – they had fines from 1999, but apparently there’s no obsolescence . We directed them to Chaya (who already knows the problem).
Beit Ummar: after returning from Beit Ummar (a break in shift that lets us see who has gone in, and who not) the two for the police said that next Sunday they can come and get the tickets to pay. The Palestinians don’t pay attention to the traffic laws, and often we get “heart attacks” when they overtake us on the white line.The people waiting for Shabak have gone in. Two remain, and five for magnetic cards – we hoped they would be dealt with even after we leave.We left at 14:30. Apart from all that, and for documentation, I dealt with medical certificates that came from a lawyer (end of days – MachsomWatch helps lawyers get entry permits for medical treatment for their clients – look what we have got to), and another one applied today and will be dealt with tomorrow.The frame of mind of people we met is still dismal – and the scenes from Gaza don’t help. .
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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