Back to reports search page

Bethlehem (300), Etzion DCL, Nuaman (Mazmuria), Hussan, Thu 5.1.12, Afternoon

Place: Bethlehem (300) Etzion DCO Nu'man (Mazmuria)
Tags: Arbitrariness, e.g. an arbitrary decision DCO (District Coordination Offices)
Observers: Ruth O., Ilana D. (reporting)
Jan-05-2012
| Afternoon

Hussan junction, DCL Etzion, Nuaman and CP 300

From 14:30 till 16:30

At the entrance to the tunnel road we met with many signs in support of Megrom announcing “Equality NOW” formatted like ”Peace NOW”.

Hussan Junction: at the Eastern entrance to Hussan a tiny market is developing (young boys trying to sell baklawa). The drivers complained like always about the state of the underpass road to El-Khadr which is worse since the first rains. It ruins their cars and the fact that the infrastructure for a proper road has been in existence for a long time is very annoying. The buses leave their passengers quite far from the place where the cabs are parked, because they are not allowed to stop at the roundabout and are unable to maneuver in the narrow parking lot.

Etzion DCL:  at the DCL we met with an angry Palestinian who had come in vain to meet with the police. Then we met the Monday-afternoon MW-shift of Bethlehem who (like us) had decided that since no one had registered on Thursday-afternoon for Bethlehem none of us would be there. We will as of now inform Ronit of our plans for the next week as soon as we know them.

We proceeded to the Eastern Etzion settlements and noted the massive construction in the Etzion industrial zone south of Efrata. We were stopped by a polite soldier at the Mazmoriya CP who enquired whether he could help us and we asked him for permission to enter Nuaman.

Nuaman CP:  when we returned he opened the electric gate (also lowering the spikes) by remote control after we had made the U-turn. We saw more agricultural activity in Nuaman, but only one person on the road who greeted us warmly. As we exited a woman with two young children and some shopping climbed the hill towards the village.

Bethlehem– Checkpoint 300:  there were a great number of buses at the entrance to Rachel’s tomb and we thought it must be some special holiday. However it turned out to be solely for the Birthright participants who didn’t enter the tomb’s compound, but only took pictures of the wall and the fortifications. The Palestinian workers in a hurry to get home were not checked at all, as a matter of fact there was not even a soldier at the window where they all passed. Those entering Israel were mostly tourists – we gave a lift into town to two German students who had spent the night in Bethlehem.   

  • Bethlehem (300)

    See all reports for this place
    • 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   .

  • Etzion DCO

    See all reports for this place
    •   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.

  • Nu'man (Mazmuria)

    See all reports for this place
    •   situated on the Wall route as part of "Jerusalem Envelope," in its southeastern stretch, east of Zur Baher, Um Tuba and the small Nuaman Village, on  Beit Sahur road, the checkpoint will serve as the main crossing for commercial goods from the southern West Bank to Jerusalem.
Donate