Bethlehem Second Friday of Ramadan
9.00-10.00.
As usual on Ramadan, the approach road to the checkpoint is closed. Many policemen. Many buses wait, fill up with passengers and head for the Old City. There are Palestinian ushers, seeing to keeping order, telling people when to advance, to wait, to enter the bus. When we arrived, police were telling one bus to move away and did not allow people to enter it because it did not have on its windshield a sign saying “Ramadan 2017, permit to pass traffic checkpoints.” All other buses had such a notice.
Most of the people arrived via the bypass road avoiding the checkpoint itself: women, children and relatively older folk. Only younger people are required to pass inside the checkpoint.
Inside it was relatively empty. Now and again some young folk arrive. About 10 soldiers/police/guards are sitting there. When we entered a woman soldier was shouting at a youth ordering him to return to Bethlehem “Go home!” and she explained to her companions “The understand only when you shout at them…!” Apparently it hasn’t been explained that it is Ramadan and that people are fasting – or perhaps it has been explained, but the message not absorbed.
We met one of the veteran officers who confirmed that women pass without a permit from age 50, and men from 55. He added that they are now enlarging the checkpoints so that people would be able to pass more quickly. According to him, on Ramadan 250,000 people pass at Bethlehem each day. He emphasised that this was the case every day.
We returned to the outside spot where the people come out towards the buses. Every now and again the gate is closed to regulate the number of Palestinians. As soon as they have entered the bus and departed, the gate opens for the next batch. In general, the wait is not long and the order is reasonable.
We noticed that the gate in the wall is also open today.
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 .
-