Bethlehem (300), Fri 24.2.12, Morning
Summary: an Arabic-speaking officer exercises judgment and our hearts jump for joy
Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300, 9:00 am-10:50 am: two lanes are open, almost no line. Almost no raised voices. Almost everyone goes through. A father and his 7 year-old son are sent back
Three new international volunteers arrive and report that it took 17 minutes for them to go through the checkpoint.
An officer comes out, surveys the situation and works quickly, efficiently, and with good judgment. First, he opens the gate between the lanes and quickly lets all the elderly go through (we haven’t seen this in years. Age has long ago ceased to be a factor. Suddenly we remember how once, all women, children, and elderly could pass first with no delays… those were the days!)
Afterwards, the officer deals with two cases that by dry protocols would be denied: one young couple (tall, slender, beautiful people) with a baby in a stroller and three girls aged 4, 5, and 6. The father has a work permit and he’s come for a work meeting. The girls have no permit, and the couple didn’t know that 5 year-olds and up now need one. The officer decides to take responsibility for the case and lets them through. He explains politely what they must do next time, and reports their passage at the checkpoint.
Another couple arrives with a 9 year-old without a permit. The mother passes through – she apparently holds French citizenship. The father and child don’t yet. The father pulls out a large stack of papers and shows them to the officer. The officer checks, makes a few calls, and again decides to take on the responsibility and let them pass.
How good, and how rare! Here we beheld a morning with no grief and no children’s tears
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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