Bethlehem and the surroundings, Sunday afternoon, 3.7.05Observers: Ilana H. Hagit S. reporting,Natanya translating.Checkpoint 300 Bethlehem: 3.20-4.45Only a few cars.We went along the pedestrian path which leads to the checking booth. There we saw about 5 detainees sitting under a tree on the opposite side and pedestrians who passed after a short check of their id’s and every now and again a wave of people arriving in transits from Jerusalem. On an occupied and untarred road, a “security road” on the eastern side of the checkpoint and in a field next to the path a small but steady stream of people going to Bethlehem and avoiding the checkpoint. The wall still has parts which are open and so it is possible to go through them and avoid the checking. 5 soldiers are at the checking booth, some blue and some border police. They seemed to be bored and were willing to talk to us…until the commander arrived dressed as if he were going to war, helmet, bullet proof vest and explained to us with some excitement that we had entered an area which was most sterile and we had to leave immediately.At the shed were detainees and also people outside and all with the same story. One without a permit and a driver who had taken an illegal person. One person who came out of the investigation room said that he had been there since 8 a.m. ( 8 hours) without water or a toilet. The others said they had been there since 10am. When we phoned to complain about the disgusting circumstances in which these people were being held a young border policeman came and took them into a field to urinate. Water was not given to them. We phoned Tal Shikma, the commander of the checkpoint. He was no responsiblity for these people who had been found at various parts of the city or for their investigation but he was kind enough to connect us with the person who was in charge. This person whose telephone number is secret answered Ilana aggresively that she should stop threatening him with complaints about the length of time and conditions in which people were being held and threatened to come and arrest her. We stayed where we were though there were few detainees and kept phoning to complain also that people had been held for more than 3 hours (twice that in fact). Tomer Eldad , the military policeman in the office of the commander of the border police tried to explain the length of time by the amount of investigations which had to be carried out. We however were there in the oppressive heat, lack of water and no toilets and could see that there was no pressure. Ilana will write a letter of complaint to Amitai Levy the commander of the Jerusalem District Forces And to others. We went on to the checkpoint of Wadi Fukin and back to Jerusalem though Walleja where two jeeps had closed off the entrance to the village.