Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Sun 4.1.09, Morning
7:00 AM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: outside we meet two UN people also monitoring the crossing; they tell us they are from UNWRA. The hall is well-nigh empty. The crossing is very slow, security checks intense. Workers report a wait of up until three hours and the UNWRA people confirm that for those arriving at the other side after 5:45! There is a rumor in the West Bank of closure and the public crossing is therefore smaller than usual. Nevertheless the time to cross is exceedingly long. The women coming out, at a late hour, complain again of being hassled by the workers and the need for a special line for them; the parents with sick children also need this line as they come out very late and have to get their kids to dialysis in Sha'arei Zedek. Other humanitarian cases also need this line. Something should be done about this.
One of our acquaintances is kept back due to a remark on his record. He is not blacklisted and we don't know what makes the army keep him off. He has a new permit for six months, works at a respectable place in Jerusalem and we have known him for years. He is over 50 and is a devoted worker and a real mensch. We try to help him but he only passes after a wait of more than half an hour.
One of the security guards ignores us, as usual, even when our questions are not "political". We stay until 8:45
9:30 AM, Etzion DCL: not many people. Those there complain of blacklisting etc.
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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