Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Mon 9.8.10, Afternoon
2:00 pm, Etzion DCL: this follows our having written and sent messages to Shabak officials. There were three people waiting past 2pm and they told us that four people had been admitted before them. At this stage one of them was summoned (again) for tomorrow at 11:00.
Another Palestinian – from the Hebron area – arrived with his children who waited and waited. Once the father was summoned indoors an uncle was left in-charge.
In the past, we would find some 30 people in the waiting area while the officers would be "at a meeting", without a single soldier around. It would take some 10 minutes for us to call the appropriate authority and get things moving.
Some 20 people arrived there-after, chiefly to renew magnetic cards. Their main interest regarding the Ramadan was: would they be able to attend prayers at the temple mount this year?
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 .
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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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