Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Tue 16.6.09, Morning
06:30 AM, Bethlehem CP: five checking posts were open, the lines short, passage quick. People said that passage on the other side was swift too. A man said that whenever the CP’s commander is present at the Palestinian side things are smooth over there. So maybe this is the explanation for the “bad” and “good” mornings in this PC.
07:40, Etzion DCL: about twenty people. The door for the DCL opened at 07:50. Most of the people we talked to were prevented from getting the magnetic card for the regular reasons; some had been already in contact with either Chaya or Sylvia. One man had had his work permit confiscated in Bethlehem CP allegedly because it was “faked”; the man goes through the same CP every morning for the last two years with the same permit.
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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