Back to reports search page
Donate
Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Sun 1.6.08, Afternoon
Place:
Bethlehem (300)
Etzion DCO
Observers: Nataniya, Shulamit S (reporting)
14:40, Etzion DCL: There were about 30 people waiting to renew their magnetic cards and one person who was summoned by the GSS. The Palestinian told us that no one has been accepted during the last half an hour. We called the officer at the civil administration that is in charge of public complaints. He was very polite and tried to explain to us, why the delay occured. Half an hour after we arrived , eight people came out, most of them with magnetic cards. The phone we made to Hana Barag probably speeded things up.
Something we had already noticed in the past is that people came to renew their cards and for some reason there was some malfunction with the computer. They were told to pay 40 Shekels on top of the 45 Shekels they had paid before to get the cards renewed. Must a Palestinian (whose card is in good condition) pay more money to the state of Israel because of some computer breakdown? Is that a normal procedure?
We once again bumped into a man that used to have a license for commerce in Israel, but all of a sudden they found that he "didn't meet the standards" which of course we don't know what they are. This is a married man who has three children. Another man of 58 had a work permit for Israel that was valid until July, he didn't receive a magnetic card – he was suddenly declared prevented passage. We referred people to the humanitarian center, to the Center for the Defense of the Individual, and of course to Silviya who does wonders.
Beit Omer: We drove to Beit Omer for a short while, those waiting there said the pace was reasonable.
17:00, Etzion DCL: We were told that a high ranking officer arrived and he let all those in line enter and added that those who arrived after five wouldn't enter.
In any case all those who arrived before five were taken care of, and that’s also good.
Bethlehem (300)
See all reports for this place-
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
See all reports for this place-
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.
-