Bethlehem (300)
9:00 to 11:00
Throughout the whole shift only one window is open. I requested an additional window, the response: there is no manpower. However a policewoman came out 5 times, stood before the gate between the windows and swiftly passed people over the age of 40 and those with permits for prayer on Friday.
The soldier in the window was quite blunt and impatient, especially when people got tired of waiting and tried to "sneak in".
Two elderly people, a man and a woman, who were rejected, continued to wait from 10.00 hoping to pass anyway. The man had a permit, but according to the policewoman and the security guard it had long expired (12/5). The old man insisted that this is a new permit and that it’s valid until 5/12 ...
The older woman is probably conducting a personal struggle against the occupation. She presents herself without a permit (or is she prevented from passing?) and tries her luck every week. This time it did not work even though she was crawling under the carousel and tried to pass time and again. The soldier called for a policeman to take away the two older people.
I could not resist and turned to the policewoman: "I understand that apparently they don’t have permits, but who are these older people threatening? They could be your grandparents. Maybe you can check on your computer and make sure they are not dangerous and allow them to go to pray?"
The response: "I will not answer you."