Bethlehem, Fri 16.9.11, Morning
Bethlehem checkpoint 300: four booths open, no congestion, according to the Palestinians there’s no waiting on the other side either.
The unfortunate aspects of the shift: A number of Palestinians with work permits hoped to go through with their son/daughter but weren’t permitted.
A Border Police officer came over to us to see what’s up:
– Everything ok?
– It’s hard to say everything’s ok at the checkpoint…Outside, in the sun, with no fences, everything’s ok…
– But nevertheless, is everything ok?
– Look, one of the annoying things is that Palestinians aren’t allowed to bring their small children to the big city, Jerusalem, on Friday, if they have only a work permit. Isn’t that simply harassment for its own sake? Just now a Palestinian wanted to cross with his five-year-old daughter and they didn’t let him. [It turned out that he was from Hebron. He had to return to Bethlehem, send his daughter in a taxi to Hebron, and then came back to the checkpoint and crossed to Jerusalem.]
– I also have a five-year-old daughter, and wouldn’t want to be in that situation, says the Border Police officer, in a moment of heartwarming sensitivity.
– So maybe you can press them to change this regulation! And besides, if you’re asking whether everything’s ok, the female soldier at booth no. 1 is rude, unpleasant, yells. We’re ashamed of her behavior. Maybe you can say something to her.
The officer entered the booth, talked to the soldier and left. Two minutes later the soldier resumed yelling at people.
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 .
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