Bethlehem, Fri 24.6.11, Morning
9:00-11:00 am
Bethlehem– Checkpoint 300: the parking lot is blocked off.
Three booths are open; there are almost no lines.
A man with a working permit, accompanied by two small children, is refused entry.
A young Palestinian man shows his permit, but the female soldier tells him that the Shin Bet refuses him entry. He doesn’t understand why but says he has to transfer money for his children’s health insurance. A young woman who speaks with him in English waits for him at the exit, and he decides to give her the documents and the money. She asks him why he isn’t coming through, but he has no explanation. She takes the material and leaves.
At that moment a security man comes out and the Palestinian tries to speak to him:
- Look, I have a permit but they’re not letting me cross…
The security man looks at the permit and says to the soldier – the permit is valid…
The soldier: But in any case the Shin Bet refuses him entry.
The security man returns the permit to the Palestinian, who suddenly says:
- Wait a minute, that’s not even my permit, it belongs to a friend of mine!
He takes out the correct permit, which the soldier looks at suspiciously, but he crosses.
Yes, there are also stories like that…!
A conversation with two security men about 'the situation' follows:
"They’re willing to listen, speaking softly and respectfully."
A few more children who are not allowed to cross are disappointed.
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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