Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Tue 5.1.10, Afternoon
2:30 PM till 5:00 PM
Tunnel checkpoint: on our way we had to 'stop and go' several times in the second tunnel. Soldiers were checking some cars at the tunnel checkpoint.
3:05 PM, Etzion DCL: five Palestinian cars and 2 Israeli cars were parked on the parking lot. In 2 cars there were some people. Nobody standing in the waiting hall. One soldier stood behind the turnstiles.
At least at this time of the day the reality of giving or refusing wanted documents seems to be hidden from observers.
About 3:45 PM, Wadi Fukin (?): on our way to Bethlehem we wanted to observe the checkpoint on the road to Beit Shemesh. On this road the queue of cars on the other side was more than a kilometer long. At the checkpoint itself only 3 cars were waiting.
We could not drive back because of the traffic jam on the way to the tunnels, therefor we we had to take the way from Zur Hadassah to Jerusalem. Beautiful!
4:30 PM, Bethlehem Checkpoint: about 50 men were running to the control building. Soldiers were ordering them in two parallel queues. At the entrance they divided themselves in 4 groups before 4 open counters. The soldiers were checking papers and hands fast.
At 4:45 the storm of returning Palestinians was over. We left.
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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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