Bethlehem and the surroundings. Tuesday a.m. 12.7.2005 Observers: Nurit N. Diana H. Tamar A. (reporting)Natanya translating. Watch: 6.50 to 10.25 Bethlehem Checkpoint 300: 2 lanes open to cars, little movement. 2 lorries being inspected and about 20 pedestrians. 2 people trying to go directly to Jerusalem sent back to the lane. New blocks have been added to where the soldiers stand. 4 detainees that we can’t get to and the commander has a few words with us about the checkpoint, the new checkpoint and it is not sure when it will be ready and the handing over of Bethlehem to the Palestinians and then sends us out of the enclosure. He says the detainees have been there half an hour and when we leave they are still there. At 7.25 the jeep brings another detainee. At Tantur a jeep and two detainees. More slogans on the blocks leading to the Gush “brother do not drive me out”.7.35 Beit Jala: …little traffic.8.00 No soldiers at the checkpoint of Gush Ezion. When we arrive at the Ezyon DCO the ventilators are working and the windows open with about an 8 minute waiting time. While we were there about 12 people came and by 9.30 more than 10 were waiting for the Secret Service. A man who has not managed to get a mesrchant’s permit in Israel. A man who has to stand trial at Beit Ofer on the 27th July is not able to get a permit to go into Israel for the trial. Azhar at first says he has to be given the permit but then says that he has to get into Israel through a route open to the Palestinians. A father whose daughter was released from Ramle prison 4 days ago is worried as she has disappeared. The police are not making efforts to help him He says Yael knows about this and we again make a note of it. Maher who for a change is there opens the police window at 8.45. At 9.15 he asks us to come to the gate so that he can explain some things to us. We don’t accept his offer of coffee as we don’t want to take more time from the Palestinians who are waiting. It seems he wants to justify the fact that the police window is not always open. He also has to be in contact with the Palestinian police from Bethlehem…in other words he has to deal with all the Israelis and Palestinians who have problems in that area. It really does seem ridiculous that there should only be one man dealing with all this but can we change this? Maybe we should make a note of when he is not present. He also shows us a list of people who are “rejected” and which he has to remove from the national computer. He sends this each day but at the national headquarters they only do this once a month. Diana asks him to have the soldiers write down the number of their file on the rejected application and that there should be notification of the times he cannot be present in advance. He said he will try.10.00 El Khadr. No police and not too much traffic. We could not help one person who turned to us because of the language problem. We find someone who says that 15 days ago his donkey was confiscated at the checkpoint of Beitar Ilit. Now no one knows where it is. Diana says she will deal with this.