The roads entering Bethlehem checkpoint are being renovated. The light rail, the blue line, should reach the outskirts of the checkpoint. Not, heaven forbid, for the benefit of the Palestinians, but for all the other visitors to Rachel’s Tomb. And not only a train but also an apartheid road that will allow access by buses and private cars of the “pilgrims” to the tomb. At the moment there is no access to the tomb by private cars but only by buses.

On Fridays, “Our Mother Rachel” gets respite from her weepy visitors, as her Sabbath vacation begins already at noon. 

My friend A. and I arrived at the square leading to the checkpoint at 3:30 p.m. Already from a distance I understood that there was some kind of problem because the line of cars (all with Israeli license plates of course) wanting to enter Bethlehem stretched, bumper to bumper, for at least 3-4 km. I bypassed the queue, because I just wanted to drop off my friend A. who is crossing to Bethlehem on foot. Pedestrian entrance is closed (open from 06:00 to 09:00 for Palestinians – until 15:00 for pilgrims, diplomats and tourists – most of whom come by private transport.)

On Fridays, “Our Mother Rachel” has respite from her weepy visitors, as her Sabbath vacation begins already at noon. 

My friend A. and I arrived at the square leading to the checkpoint at 3:30 p.m. Already from a distance I understood that there was some kind of problem because the line of cars (all with Israeli license plates of course) wanting to enter Bethlehem stretched, bumper to bumper, for at least 3-4 km. I bypassed the queue, because I just wanted to drop off my friend A. who is crossing to Bethlehem on foot. Pedestrian entrance is closed (open from 06:00 to 09:00 for Palestinians – until 15:00 for pilgrims, diplomats and tourists – most of whom come by private transport.

The Palestinian bus schedule has been diluted accordingly. Returning to Bethlehem is possible on Fridays up to an hour before Shabbat ends – for Shabbat-observing Palestinians this is of course very important…

Those who forgot to scan the magnetic card get a visit “over a cup of coffee” from the army that same night accompanied by a Security Service person.

After A. said goodbye to me, I found a parking space for myself and went down to see if they had prepared the crossing for Ramadan, which starts today.  Nada! I counted 62 cars waiting to pass. At the end of the caravan, I discovered an old acquaintance, whose story is worth mentioning separately, and I asked how it was going. “Going? Going nowhere! That’s how it is every day.  Either an endless queue, or as in the last two weeks, the entrance for cars is closed. “Drive through the tunnels.” More lost hours. Only diplomats and pilgrims are allowed to pass by car.

There is not a trace of all the preparations made in previous years. Ramadan was probably deleted from the calendar here. 

I went over to talk to the police. I walked towards the car crossing, next to all the parked cars. When the “security forces” “discovered me” a crazy attack began. I am a real danger to Israel’s security – who knows, maybe in light of what we have heard in the last few days about the army’s failures on October 7th, a woman like me is enough to endanger the famous security. “What are you doing here” “You are hampering the work of the policemen” (ha…ha…).

When I tried to find out when and if they would prepare the place for Ramadan (I “revealed” to them that it is not in a year, but starts tomorrow morning) I was respectfully sent back to my car accompanied by a policeman with a drawn rifle (the man was at least three times bigger than me in length and width) and a warning to never show my face in this place again and disturb the work of the soldiers. “Look what a queue has formed because of you.” “Because of me?? I’ve been here for over an hour – long before you saw me and I started ‘bothering you’ and the line reached all the way to the square.”    And then ….. “Get out of here already you Arab’s whore, go to Gaza to your friends”. I didn’t hold back – I hurled all the rude and bad words I could think of at that moment – sadly my arsenal is not big enough! I went to the car and waited to see if the pace of the queue would pick up – and I was disappointed. 

What about the traditional customs of the holiday? The prayer at Al-Aqsa, the social and family activities – will everything be erased?  Scary, discouraging and enraging.