Bethlehem, Tue 3.8.10, Morning
Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300: a lot of cars outside, waiting for workers. According to one of them, "Everything OK. Flowing." And that's how we found the checkpoint. Crowded in the lines, and flowing. And when there is something unusual, there are revealed negative attitudes, vulgarity and ugliness. A family passed with a child. The woman soldier asked for a birth certificate. The woman does not understand Hebrew. The soldier doesn't speak Arabic and the solution - a raised voice, anger all in Hebrew. And the mother still doesn't know Hebrew....
Officer A. comes to calm the scene with a pleasant smile. According to him, and in answer to our question - the soldiers at the positions are going through a course of basic Arabic.
At 07:30 precisely the number of stations is reduced. In place of four serving the transients there are now only two. The lines stretch as do tempers.
At 08:00 approximately the lines are almost empty.