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Bethlehem, Fri 29.1.10, Morning
Place:
Bethlehem (300)
Observers: Efrat B., Claire O. (reporting)
8:10-10:45 AM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: when we first arrived three booths were functioning, after a while only two, despite the fact that the crowd hadn't diminished.
The checking process was very slow and the queue grew. People complained about what had happened the day before: they waited three hours on the Palestinian side. One of the security staff confirmed that there had been a 'balagan' (commotion) due to power failure and the generator of the machsom was too weak to deal with so much equipment.
Two long queues at the tills and the shrill shouting of a woman soldier in poor Arabic on the other side formed the background of the scene. The Humanitarian hotline (HH) promised us to attend to the matter. Twenty minutes go by, the shrill cries have diminished but the queues have not. At our further complaint to the HH they claimed to have already attended the matter. One of the soldiers complained that there wasn't enough staff to open another till.
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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