Bethlehem. Tuesday PM, 4.7.2006 Observers: Yael I., Ruth O. and Ilana D. (reporting) From 3:00 till 6:O0 PMSoldiers guarded by a number of jeeps were installing new barbed wire coils at the Southern end of the tunnel on the Western side of Road 60.A huge number of people were waiting at the Ezyon DCL and complained that for the last three hours no one had been let in. We frantically tried calling. Eyal was out and Amir was away. A replacement, Ro’i very much wanted to be helpful but was at a loss as to how to go about it. The place (not just the toilets) was filthy and looked just like before the sweeper had been employed.Some stories: A young mother who has lived for the last ten years in Honduras and had come with her daughter to visit her family wanted to show the girl the ‘holy places’ in Jerusalem – she was refused. A man who works with HOPE in Bethlehem and had a meeting with the Peres Center for Peace (the permit was waiting for him) was unable to get to the window. Two dialysis technicians who work in Augusta Victoria were told to come in the morning to get a number for renewal of their magnetic card. That is the time they work and cannot leave the patients alone. A man who had been picked up for being illegally in Israel needed the number of his file from Maher in order to employ a lawyer. He had waited yesterday and today all day and was told to call in the morning. A policeman had confiscated the cell phone of a youngster who had been told to retrieve it at the police. He had been back and forth from the DCL to the Police Station, when urged by us Maher said that he should call the Security Services (how?). At 5:00 PM, after about an hour and a half all those who had not given up waiting were let in and we left.Twenty detainees were sitting on the pavement waiting to be ‘dealt with’ and sent on their way. One was very scared to be imprisoned and we gave him a Moked card. A huge line of impatient returnees was waiting at Rachel Crossing. Tourists passed freely and easily without waiting and checking through the one passage, which was open. Ronny’s phone was engaged, Meital apparently called him, so within a few minutes two more passages were manned and within fifteen minutes the crowds had vanished. We saw one of our friends from Wallaje who no longer crosses the fields to get to work for fear of being apprehended. Across the street of the BP camp North of CP 300 twenty detainees were sitting on the sidewalk waiting to be ‘dealt with’ and sent on their way. One was very scared of being imprisoned and we gave him a Moked card. A huge line of impatient returnees was waiting at the Rachel Crossing. Tourists passed freely and easily without waiting and checking from the Bethlehem side through the one passage, which was open. Ronny’s phone was engaged, Meital apparently called him, so within a few minutes two more passages were manned and within fifteen minutes the crowds had vanished. We saw one of our friends from Wallaje who no longer crosses to fields to get to work for fear of being apprehended. In order to find out re procedures of issuing numbers we went back in the morning. Beyond the long tunnel a stack of unused coiled barbed wires was awaiting the arrival of the soldiers to continue fencing off Road 60 to the West. At the Ezyon DCL we saw a long orderly line of people waiting outside (but within the stench of the toilets). Ro’i, guarded by another soldier, came to give out numbers according to a list, which was read out, by one of the Palestinians on which people had registered when they arrived. All those present got their turn except for those under 30 (amongst whom a 23-year old nurse whose work permit for Jerusalem lapses next week and who will not be able to find employment in Bethlehem) and a few men who will be turning 30 in the course of this year. An older woman with back pains was sitting in a cab and left after she had received her number (she will return in a couple of hours). She explained to us that the authorities had made an art of making their lives miserable and then are amazed when people get angry. There is no way to know ahead of time when additional numbers will be issued, sometimes once and sometimes twice during the course of the day. The one-day permits are given out first before the magnetic card applicants are allowed to approach the windows. A settler bumped into our car and totally wrecked the bumper, but although he scrutinized our tags, he was nice about it being his fault.