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Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Fri 1.5.09, Morning

Place: Bethlehem (300) Etzion DCO
Observers: Ephrat B., Clair O. (both reporting)
May-01-2009
| Morning

09:00 – 10:30 AM, Etzion DCL: many people passed without breaks or delays. Two positions were open, but no line formed. 

There were no cases of the hand print machine not working, and no one was required to keep placing a hand on it, as was happening a month ago.  

There were no cases of soldiers raising their voices.  

Only when we were about to leave, we heard a woman soldier on the Palestinian side shouting, and a young couple came through and turned to us angrily: “It’s not right that the woman raises her voice and doesn’t even think of saying ‘please.’ In our culture it’s forbidden to talk like that to an adult! You have to tell her…”  

“You’re right, in our culture too it’s not done.”  

We approached a woman soldier who came out of the checkpoint office, but she did not respond. We phoned the Centre to complain.

  • 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   .

  • Etzion DCO

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    •   serves residents of Bethlehem and surrounding villages who need magnetic cards, work permits for Israel, permits for one-time entry for religious or health reasons, various police permits, etc.
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