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Bethlehem (300), Tue 17.9.13, Morning
Place:
Bethlehem (300)
Observers: D, R reporting
At 6:40 am the hall before the last check is crowded with people. Four checking stations are open. A soldier stands with the metal door open glancing at the permits and people pass through the door swiftly. The head policeman joins him and in a few minutes the hall is empty. Slowly the hall fills up again. This time the policeman comes out to let people through the open door. We discover that the Humanitarian line is not open. The guard calls about it for us and discovers that while it was open, the soldier in charge of it left early. By 7:20 AM, everyone has passed.
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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