Bethlehem and Surroundings, Sunday 22.5.2005, AMObservers: Sylvia P. and Ofra B. (reporting) 7:00 –Bethlehem Checkpoint 300: We found more army – soldiers and jeeps – than usual. Did something happen? At the checkpoint itself there is a short queue. All the time people come but it seems that they cross. Near the inspection path there are more sand sacks and it is hard to see what is happening there. At a distance, on Bethlehem direction, there are 8 to 10 detainees. The BP Yoav who is dressed and armed for battle, says that they tried to sneak into Jerusalem and were caught. The usual story. He speaks unpleasantly. We have the feeling that the forbidden area for Machsom Watch women in this checkpoint grows from week to week.7:40 – El Hader: Free movement of pedestrians and big groups of secondary school students. There is no army today and it seems that there are no problems. Our acquaintance Ahmad Joubran didn’t show up today as well. Some said that may be he found some work somewhere. Inshallah!8:10 – Etzion DCO: Twenty people are waiting. Today we found 5 or 6 women and they are allowed to enter first (good manners!). The queue advances. But – as always – there are problems, which may be defined as unnecessary harassment. For example:- People come to renew their magnetic card with a filled form with stamps. Several tens of shekels in stamps. They approach the window and the soldier refuses to accept the form. After pressure from Haya and her team they write down on the form: “impeded by the police” or “impeded by the GSS” and the date. But they say nothing. They only write it down. People go out and ask us since they cannot read Hebrew. We got a translator and put a small piece of paper with the translation on the glass wall. Those that asked us were sent to Haya – if impeded by the police – or to Firas – if impeded by the GSS.- Those lucky creatures whose form was accepted get a receipt. But they are thrown away if they ask when they must come to get the magnetic card. A very well dressed doctor approached us and said that maybe he didn’t hear correctly. Sylvia called Azhar and he said to come in one week. Why not to tell him on the spot? – Church and monastery workers suffer from the problem of communication between Bet El DCO and Etzion DCO. They have a letter from their employers. Is it true that there is a quota for these workers? Is it full? The fact is that they are sent back and forth and they need a telephone call from the head of the religious institutions to handle the problem.- A specially hard case that doesn’t get a humane treatment: an old man tells with tears in his eyes that he came with his drug addict son who has a request from a drug rehabilitation center in Haifa, and I know how hard it is to be accepted in those centers. In this case – every hour, every day is crucial. The boy runs away, steals money, buys drugs and uses them. The drugs are stronger than him and it is not new. They delay him, they must check. On Thursday (26.5) we found out that only on Wednesday he was allowed to pass. Who will give back to his family and to him three unnecessary days of suffering?