Bethlehem (300)
Bethlehem, El Khader, Jan. 1, 04, AM watchers:Ora S., Naama . Enbal M. Bethlehem Checkpoint (no. 300)-almost totally destolate. A few vehicles are checked and passed in both directions. A few vehicles stood where the line for checking begins and did not advance to the area where the checking takes place. Just a few tried and passed. As usual, jeep no. 22308 stood at the end of the pedestrian path, about 70 meters after the checkpoint and checked most of the pedestrians again because it is claimed that many of them by pass the checkpoint and steal across without permits.The Nahal soldiers have left the checkpoint and have been replaced by Border Police. El Khadr: There is no sign of the IDF. The pass is totally free and there are very few people (because of the holiday?). The vendors at the stands tell us that on Wednesday the same soldiers who had been there before had returned, beaten people and made a mess: the shoes were red, one of them was a spectacled red head, not very tall–do we have a way to check who these soldiers were and to place a complaint? Because these incidents occur again and again and go on for quite a while, the vendors at the stand asked if we could give them our telephone numbers so that they could call us immediately, in the hope that we could come and help. The problem is that none of us could do that. Does somebody have a solution to this problem?
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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