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Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Tue 7.9.10, Afternoon

Place: Bethlehem (300) Etzion DCO
Observers: Yael L.-J (reporting). Avital F. (driving)
Sep-07-2010
| Afternoon

14.30 till 17.30 PM, Etzion DCL

General situation:

For Jews:     one day before Rosh ha Shana
For Muslims: Eed-el-Fitr holidays which they usually use for visits at special doctors or hospitals in East Jerusalem.

Nine Palestinian cars are parked on the parking lot. about 24 people in the waiting hall – men, women, children.

Some people came to renew their magnetic cards.

After our arrival (15.15 PM) nobody was called in. People told us that they were already waiting about one or two hours.

We started to telephone according to our list. We called about 10 phone-calls, and after some frustration a few soldiers were beginning to call up at least the people applying for a permit.

In some cases the permit was refused. One was a father who needed it for his daughter. He had an invitation for the hospital in Jerusalem but was missing a prescription from the local doctor.

Another person was taking care of a young, visibly sick, man. The sick person seemed to be already in a kidney treatment at Mukassa hospital and had a prescription from his local doctor. The soldiers did not let him into their offices. We were trying to convince them to do so. Finally he could go in. We were waiting for a while, but did not see him anymore.

  • 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   .

  • 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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