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Bethlehem (300), Etzion DCL, Thu 12.1.12, Afternoon

Observers: Shlomit S., Ora A. (Reporting). Ilil N.-B. (translating}
Jan-12-2012
| Afternoon

Etzion DCL, 14:15 pm:  in the hall, two young men were waiting.  We called the soldier on duty and he let them in.  Outside the relatives of those people who were delayed inside were waiting.   One of them complained he’d been waiting for over three hours, since 11:00, for his wife.

A  father and his son exited into the hall and approached us.  The father explained that his son’s name on his ID card is “Issa”, after his grandfather, but that the boy’s mother, not liking the name (or the grandfather), has always called the boy Muhammad.  
When the soldier asked the boy his name, the boy replied, “Muhammad.”  Seeing the discrepancy, the soldier refused to handle their request.  One of those waiting nearby advised them to return next week and to make sure the boy said his official name next time.

A man approached us whose 2 year-old son had an appointment at the Hadassah Hospital’s sleep clinic this coming Sunday and Tuesday.  The father had paid 500 NIS for the treatment and showed the DCL soldier  the receipt and the the Hadassah  referral. But soldiers refused to let him through on the grounds that the receipt hadn’t come directly from the Hadassah Hospital onto the DCL computer.  The receipt in his hand was considered invalid.  We tried contacting the Hadassah Hospital Sleep Clinic to get them to send the receipt by fax to the DCL, but couldn’t get through.  When we returned to Jerusalem we drove there, but the clinic was closed.

 Shlomit drove there again on Sunday, got through some bureaucratic hurdles, and successfully got the receipt sent over to the DCL. 

  • 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

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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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