Bethlehem Nov. 7 2004 AMObservers: Malka A., Haya A., Ada G. (reporting)Beit Jalla – 7:10Vehicles moving; there’s a line in front of the CP.The soldiers check the vehicles.Al Hadr – 7:20Many cabs, one bus and brisk pedestrian traffic. Nosoldiers present.At the junction of Route 60 and Hussan-Batir, bluepolicemen directi the traffic. At Al Hadr we met agroup of people from Kfar Nuba near Hebron. They lefthome at 2 AM, were caught at A-Zaim and are now beingsent back home.Beit Ummar – 7:50Traffic flows.No army in sight.Nabi Yunas – 8:10Open. No soldiers.Etzion CP – 8:15Open. No soldiers and no detentions. Is it too early?DCO Etzion – 8:20About 30 people waiting. The usual stories. Peoplecome back every month, apply for magnetic cards, thenare sent away without any explanation. Some sounddesperate and depressed. They all have families andare looking for work.8:50 – As we were leaving, Titi, a bus driver, calledfrom the CP. He was barred from crossing. We wentthere right away. Now the CP was manned by soldiers.An order had been issued: no public transportationallowed! Titi is on his way to Allenby Bridge. Thereare people who need to cross to Jordan and they can’t.The drivers’ ID cards are taken and they are forced toturn back. The soldiers and the Humanitarian Centertell us that there is a general closure in effect.The bus driver has a problem: he renewed his licenseat the Authority, as required, but the information didnot transfer to the civil administration, thus he isliable to be stopped by the police.Efrat CP – 9:15No closure. Vehicles pass after routine check up.Al Hadr – 9:30We stopped again. Fewer vehicles. There are cabs andbuses that have learned of the closure at Etzion CPand cannot go back to Hebron.Hussan – 9:45An army bulldozer is at work here, removing a dirtmound that blocked the road, but it dumps the dirt onthe pedestrian passage. When wecomplaied to the soldier, there was a half heartedattempt to smooth over the pedestrian path.Bethlehem CP 300 – 10:00Very few pedestrian and vehicles crossing. Workersrepair the road.They explain that their aim is to make it easier forus and for them.They are also building a new terminal behind theexisting one: CP 2000 – to rival the new airport 2000!