Bethlehem, Fri 28.11.08, Morning
Summary: there was very little activity at the checkpoint. One specific incident illustrated the bleak situation very well: the army’s apathy, our sadness, and the Palestinians’ despair. 09.00.-10.30 AM, Bethlehem Checkpoint: most of the time there was just a trickle of Palestinians through the checkpoint. There were no hold-ups or waiting for inspections. Also, in the few cases where a Palestinian had difficulty in placing his hand correctly in the (finger-print inspection) machine, this caused a delay of only a minute or two. Only one man was sent back because the name on his permit didn’t match the information in the computer. Suddenly, a Palestinian, about forty years old, cried-out that the bag containing all his documents had been stolen. He tried to pass underneath the barrier, but the soldiers demanded that he should turn-back immediately. He explained that he had placed his bag at the transition-point and someone had taken it (it was not clear to us if this was by mistake or willfully). He was very upset and the implication of his having lost all his documents could be clearly seen on his face. He implored the soldiers to let him search the minibus which was waiting outside, to see if someone had taken his bag there. He wasn’t allowed to pass, even though he promised to return. He also pointed out that his brother was behind him, and should arrive any minute. His brother indeed arrived and searched inside the minibus, but returned empty-handed. We appealed to the soldier and to the security guard that they should try to help the man, but they displayed abysmal indifference. The Palestinian walked backwards and forwards behind the inspection positions, and then, having no other choice, returned to where he came from.
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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