Bethlehem. Tuesday 6-12-05, PM Observers: Ora A. and Ilana D. (reporting)From 2:00 till 5:00 PMRachel Crossing, Beit Ummar, DCL EzyonIt was my first time at the new terminal. We parked at the empty parking lot intended for busses and other means of public transportation. We walked on the ‘Ackerstein’ pavement along the tall iron fence beyond which fancy landscaping is in preparation. Near the entrance we chatted with a Palestinian who complained about the worsened condition, but he admitted that via Beit Jalla there is no problem at all to enter and exit Bethlehem. A soldier in a bulletproof booth next to a turnstile asked for our passports and then was very amazed when he found out that we were Jewish. “Please leave immediately, you are not allowed to be here!” And from a lookout near the ceiling a Military Police soldier approached to chase us away properly. Ora called Ronni A whom she had met the day before at an official meeting with representatives of the “Jerusalem Envelope” with MachsomWatch representatives and he came with a group of men who used to man CP300 and were now taken on a tour to view the new premises. He showed us the place beyond heavy metal doors where people exit into Jerusalem after having passed the Via Dolorosa of the new terminal and been found eligible to enter Israel. With pride he showed us that posters of the Ministry of Tourism adorn the walls. This is the place for MW to stand. It is clear there is no way we can observe anything from that spot. It is obvious that passing the terminal involves a long walk between tall metal fences open to the elements (no shade, no rain-cover) in addition to at least two turnstiles with document checking. He will take all of us together on a ‘tour’ and wondered what we were doing here anyway today: there is a closure. The only two people who passed into Jerusalem were Germans who knew about us.At the entrance to Rachel’s tomb two giant Bedouin watchmen were stationed in front of the gate.We delivered documents from Haya to Abu Nassim and met with a man who had been told at the Hebron Police that he had no debts. However, he was unable to obtain a permit from the DCO. In Ras El Amud it appeared that he owes from fines in Israel. We tried in vain calling Maher (he does not deal with people from Beit Ummar) and the Police in Hebron (“not over the telephone, the man has to come in person”).There was no one at the Etzion DCL, Maher on top of the roof waving to us proclaimed that all people had been ‘dealt with satisfactorily’ and therefore the place was empty. We noted that our form letter to Lothstein had disappeared and posted a new paper ACRI which had been torn off.The Ezyon CP was manned, but there was no queue nor any detainees. The Efrat CP was not manned nor the one at the Beit Jalla DCO.Near the tunnel CP parachutists who ‘know us’ from their stint in Nablus could not tell us what the huge earthmoving vehicles were doing (building a tunnel, an interchange or preparations for the wall, as one suggested).