Bethlehem, Monday 30.4.07Observers: On the road: Ada G, Idid SAt DCL Ezyon: Idit N, Noam K (Reporting) 7:30- On the road: We met two people who had to get to Ras El Amud to sign a paper waiving their right to a hearing on a traffic violation. HOwever they didn’t get a permit to to there, even after attempting to get one at the Hebron DCL. They signed a power of attorney to us stating that they waive their right to a hearing, in hope that with our help this could be done. 9:00- Ezion DCL: The police officer wasn’t there, but no one was waiting for him either. A soldier came out and took people’s applications for permits (only urgent humanitarian cases were accepted).-A young man came to us, he told us that his brother worked in construction at Tel Aviv and that he fell from the forth floor, and has been hospitalized for five days after suffering a severe brain damage. He had a letter from the hospital with a request for a permit for a close family member to visit him. He had arrived with the paper on the previous day. His mother received a permit but he didn’t. At the DCL that fact that this man is the brother of the wounded man was denied. We called the humanitarian center. During our first call they checked their computer and immediately confirmed that they are in fact brothers. After ten minutes they said that he should go to a different DCL, since this wasn’t an urgent case. We said that his brother was unconscious and that it was pretty urgent. After fifteen minutes they said they would contact the DCL and tell them to give him a permit. -A man approached us after not receiving a permit for an eye operation that was scheduled for the following day. Instead he received a summons for an interview at the secret services. In his summons he was requested to bring with him a letter elaborating on his need for the operation. Since he had five different pages, we wondered what more he could bring with him. We called the deputy officer of health who said that the Palestinian had to bring a letter from his attending doctor, and that all the papers that he got from the hospital were not enough. -Every Monday we meet a woman who comes each week for a permit for her and her mother,for a weekly visit to Haddassa Ein Karem. Because she recieved a permit for only for one day each time, she has to come to the DCL each week. Last week I reported about her mother’s problem with her wheelchair that doesn’t pass through the turnstile at the checkpoint (and because she doesn’t have a permit for a vehicle- so she can’t use the road to pass), on this day she told us about another problem that she has- occassionally there are emergencies and she has to get her mother urgently to the hospital. Since she doesn’t have a permit she has to call for an ambulance and pay 800 shekels… as there is no other way to pass the checkpoint and make it to hospital. At 10:30 the soldiers came to hand out the permits. The young man, whose brother is hospitalized, got his permit, but it was only for that day and only until seven PM (the same goes for his mothers permit). The soldiers, it must be said, were kind and agreed to listen to everyone’s requests (even our own). Since he had trouble speaking Hebrew we explained on his behalf that his brother is in a bad condition and asked that they give him a permit for a longer duration, so that he could stay the night with him or even be with him on the next day. After they made some inquiries, they came back and said that they couldn’t do that, but added that if he came on the next day with a request from a doctor and details of the case, they could give him and his mother a permit for a longer duration.