Etzion DCL, 14.25 PM: when we arrived there were some twelve people waiting for magnetic cards. Some said they had been waiting since early morning (arriving at 5) and that the office had opened only at 9 o’clock. Entry was very slow and when we phoned the office we were told that the room was full and there was only one soldier to deal with applicants. During the afternoon four people were admitted for permits.

There seemed to be one or two people who had preferential treatment, being admitted immediately – but we couldn’t check.  Maybe they had been summoned.

One young man waiting for a magnetic card told us he was also refused by both Security and Police.  We gave him Sylvia’s and Chaya’s details.

A man whose tractor had been confiscated on Thursday came, having been referred by the nearby police station.  He had a report issued by the army which he could not understand.  With the help of the Moked, we finally persuaded the officer ‘upstairs’  to receive him so that at least they could tell him exactly what to do.  They told him that he would have to come the following morning to see the police officer on duty (as we had suspected).  We advised him to check in the morning that there was indeed a policeman present, before coming.

A lawyer arrived with his client who had been refused a permit.  He seemed not to know that the police have visiting hours only until noon.

16.30  By now  the upstairs room was at last empty.  There were six men still waiting to be admitted.  The soldier at the window would not let them all in together, though we tried to persuade him to do so, fearing that the office would soon close. Presumably under directions from above, he would let in one at a time and, in the end (at 17.00), three remained.  We gave him a list of names and i.d. numbers  and he said he would accept him first thing in the morning. It was embarrassing to receive such warm thanks from all for the tiny bit of help we managed to give.

For a change, we can’t accuse the soldiers of simply slacking on the job.  But it is certainly unacceptable for those in charge to assign only one soldier to issue cards, making people spend a whole day just to get their cards (and sometimes not even managing on the first visit).  The army is surely not that lacking in manpower?   It was interesting to see that among themselves the applicants were willing to give up places in line for older persons.