Bethlehem and Surroundings– Thurs. June 2, O5 PMObservers: Gili K., Eva P., Nurit S. (reporting) 3:00-6:15 Ezyon DCO: We drove first to the DCO in order to catch it still open as it closes at 16:00 on thursdays. We encountered the following cases: A head mistress of an American school recieved permits to take her teachers and their families on a trip to Tibiruis. Out of the 24 permits she requested, she recieved 23, the son of one of the teachers is a student and young men of his age automatically do not recieve permits. She knew this and did not attempt to appeal this rejection. A Palestinian man, principal of a high school in El Khadr, requested a permit for himself and his wife as his wife to go to Jerusalem because his wife needs to undergo an operation at Mucassed HOspital. He requested a permit for both of them for two days as she needs to enter the hospital on June 5, undergo the operation and stay overnight and then return on MOnday. He was given a permit for only one day, June 5 and was told that with the hospital discharge papers he would be allowed to travel back home. He was not satisfied with this because he himself had undergone an operation and had recieved a permit for one day. He was stopped at a checkpoint for 6 hours when he tried to get home. The soldiers did not consider his hospital discharge papers good enough. He wished to spare his wife this humiliation and pain. We called Ahzar who explained this to us and to this man. Ahazar did not understand the man’s objection to this arrangement and told me that this man is a “coward”. We called Dalia Bassa but couldn’t get her and left her messages at all sorts of phone numbers. Later on in the day she returned to me and said that she would look into it. I told this man that if his problem is not resolved I shall pick him and his wife up and drive them home myself. They live in Batir and I don’t think there will be a problem with it. Still, it’s distressing that a person can’t even get a permit to go to hospital and then come home in a dignified manner…he needs to “not be coward” in order to do it. We had a long talk with this man who told us that as a school principal, he has nothing good he can say about Israelis to his pupils. He told us of humiliations and problems that he had with israelis since the early 70s. “It’s not just since this last intefada, it’s always been difficult and humiliating”. Later we gave this man a lift to El Khadr. Another Palestinian showed up just at 16:00 in order to pick up a permit that he was told was waiting for him. At first they didn’t want to let him in, but when we asked, they did. They told him at the window to come back, that they don’t have his permit. When we called Ahzar and asked about it, it turned out that they did have the permit and he got it. If we hadn’t beent here, they would have sent him for a run around for no reason.Biet Omar: We delivered Haya’s reciepts. We noticed nothing unusual.Biet Jala: traffic flowing, a man was selling cherries from the Golan at the intersection. WE had hoped it was from his tree…but no. Bethlehem CP 300: We met David, who had helped us in the past with the man whose wallet was stolen with documents in it. He was friendly. I asked him about the detainees that we saw standing around the craob tree. It was difficult to see how many were there because they stood behind some concrete blocks. He said that they were being taken care of and wouldn’t let us approach. He denied that there were interrogations going on and said that there was no container in the area. We didn’t see a container near the tree. There was a little tourist traffic and not many cars waiting and we left at about 18:00.postscript: I called the school principal on saturday to see what happened with his permit and it turned out that he was already in hospital with his wife in Jerusalem. HIs daughter told me and gave me his cell phone number. I called him and offered to drive them home the following day. He said he would call me if he needed help. He didn’t call me, but I called him and he was grateful for the lift. I picked him and his wife up by Damascus Gate. There was a parade on that day because of JErusalem Day and we had to make a big circle around west Jerusalem in order to get them home. It seemed to me that they really enjoyed seeing west jerusalem because they are not allowed in there. I had a lovely chat with this man, who apparently speaks very good hebrew and is familiar with our national library as he visited there when he was a student. He is also familiar with the city as he lived here when he was a student. It seemed that he felt that all the good things were here in Jerusalem and that they, the Palestinians are not allowed near them ( good libraries, good shopping areas). They live in a lovely house in Batir( great views) and I recieved a royal a welcome. The children washed my car while I had coffee with the father upon our arrival there. We have a new friend in Batir now.