Bethlehem and Surroundings–Tuesday March 22,05 PMObservers: Yael I. and Ilana D. (reporting)For once we decided to pay a visit to the DCO in Hebron and receivedinstructions from Yehudit E. on how to reach it (it is located within area Aon the western outskirts of Hebron) with Youssuf, a taxi driver from BeitUmmar whom Haya O. had befriended.He awaited us at the interchange under the pillbox of Beit Ummar and lockedour car in his garage while he took us to the DCL and waited there to takeus back too. It is a drive of approximately half an hour. He explained someof the sites (and closed off roads and junctions) on the way and picked up abus driver friend who had once driven schoolchildren in Jerusalem, is nowunemployed and waiting for a permit to try and start working again. We weretold that in the morning thousands of people crowd at the DCO and that inthe afternoon there is no one. Youssuf told us that sometimes he dropsPalestinians off at the entrance at 3:00 AM in the morning and last year,when the situation was far worse, even at 10:00 PM when people would waittill 8:00 AM for the gates to open.3:00 PM The soldier in charge of opening the turnstiles let us in andshouted at us to lift our coats and show our bags. We were greeted by aperson who was sweeping the large asphalted yard, runs the kiosk and claimedto be in charge of keeping order and regulating the queue. Having beenwarned we did not inspect the toilet.Some people were loitering in the yard, waiting for a reply after havinghanded in their papers. About a hundred men crowded in a small anteroomleading to stairs with yet more turnstiles before the windows whereapparently no one had been dealt with for some time, so the pushing on thestairs was almost unbearable. Some men said they had been waiting since 4:00AM. Others said four hours. We called Moti (on the list), who was not on thespot, but promised to deal with the trouble. After a few minutes “Captain”Hadi, who was well respected by the Palestinians and spoke extremelypolitely to them, arrived and initially said that all the elderly, thehumanitarian cases and those people who had had police refusals couldproceed. Then he approached us with outstretched hands and a broad smile andsaid that he knew all about us and would we please give warmest regards toHagit whom he had met at the CP’s before the elections. He told us that thesituation is infinitely better than it used to be when he came a year and ahalf ago. He does not believe that anyone waits longer than two (‘maximumthree’) hours and claims that those who come prior to the opening of thegates have nothing better to do and consider the place their “club-house”.Recently a second machine to issue magnetic cards (“Kara”m”) had been addedand since the beginning of the day more than two hundred cards had beenissued. Unfortunately the computer had just stalled which had caused thedelay, but the line was moving a little again. According to Hadi quite somePalestinians who had received refusals from the GSS were later issued withmagnetic cards. He can issue no more permits for merchants and is aware thatthis is problematic. One man asked for a merchants’ permit for one week onlyto feed his children and was told to wait. Immediately ten others crowdedaround him and he seemed to scribble something on each request. ThePalestinians seemed pleased and thanked us profusely. Many state that it isimpossible to obtain permits to enter Israel, but once in possession of amagnetic card they enter and will just be sent home if caught, but notdetained. One man had not seen his wife and children in Nazareth for morethan a year, “It is easier to reach America than Israel”, he said. We hadbeen at the DCO for about an hour and some people were still arrivingstating, that they hoped to be dealt with before closure at 5:00. Hadi verypolitely asked us to go. He said that he felt responsible for us andalthough he had other work to do, could not leave us un-chaperoned on thepremises in Area A. We stalled a little, but then agreed to leave.Youssuf asked us whether we could arrange for a permit for him to attend thewedding of his 18-year old daughter from his first marriage in Tel Sheva. Hewould have to apply to Azhar at the Etzion DCO with the necessarydocumentation but he is not in possession of a magnetic card, refused by theGSS and only has a temporary permit to drive his cab. He was given thenumber of Firass.We were invited for tea, which we could not refuse and weretoo late to make our usual rounds. However we decided to inspect thesituation in Al Khadr where we found many more yellow vans parked thanusually, neatly in rows – witness to the fact that there is no work forthem. They somehow looked shinier and newer that normally. The army comesoccasionally and checks and detains randomly we were told. Someone had put afire to the garbage, which made the place look even more dismal thanusually. It was getting dark and the fruit and vegetables were being sold atrock-bottom prices (four boxes of strawberries for ten shekels). Someoneasked us when the tractor that had just removed the obstruction of the roadinto Hussan would continue its work in Al Khadr. We could hardly believewhat he said and rushed across the main road to find the earth moundleveled – the road open and in use – but no longer any tractor in thevicinity.At the tunnel CP a bus was checked and a couple with baby were not allowedback in. A soldier immediately came to us and asked us not to disturb him.But then proved friendly and explained that the man had a blue Id and hiswife no document whatsoever. They had been on their way to Beer Sheva and hecould not let them proceed.