Bethlehem (300)
Dilution – Today’s title for the shift
8:20: we arrived at the checkpoint after we heard over the radio that the passage for worshipers had been considerably reduced. We found an empty checkpoint. We asked what this meant and learned that a policy of “dilution” was declared. Another laundered word. Indeed the “dilution” was quite prominent. Very few people passed, mainly older women and much less older men and a few people who had special work permits for Fridays.
The civilian employees of the security company made an effort to get into an argument with us, from which we dodged. The discourse was very "scary" by its extremism and racism. They are bored, and when we arrive the shift can be "revived".
A little boy, about 8 years old crawled under the window and the carousel and run quickly away from the checkpoint. The soldiers saw it but apparently decided to hold back. David and Goliath war!
We left at 10:15 when there were no more people at the checkpoint.