Hebron Rd., El Khadr, Beit Jala

Bethlehem Dec. 2, 04 PMObservers: Eva P., Nurit S. (reporting)Shift took place between 3 to 5 pmHebron Rd.--On our way out of Jerusalem we noticed two women BP had stopped a Palestinian taxi and were detaining its passengers so we stopped. Soon after we stopped another taxi was stopped and there were 10 men and one woman who were detained and the taxis sent off. Soon afterwards a BP Jeep showed up with a BP officer (Einad) and two other male BP. Their IDs were checked and those who did not have permits to be within Jerusalem were detained. All except for one woman were young looking men who had been in Jerusalem for work. We tried to plead for the release of the woman who looked totally miserable. She was carrying quite a few plastic bags with clothes in them and looked tired and frightened. The soldiers were hostile, complaining that we don't worry about them. I said that they were not being detained after a hard days work and standing in the cold, but if they had a problem, perhaps we could be of some help. One of the soldiers pointed to the other and said that he was alone with no family. I said, perhaps you would like me to invite you to dinner? He said he didn't want to have anything to do with me. The women BP were especially hostile and complained that we were disturbing them in their work when we asked about the situation with the detainees. Ayad, the officer explained that the detainees were being held until the forms they needed to sign were brought, then they would be filled out with their particulars and they would have to sign them. These forms, I know, state that if they are caught inside Israel again they would be subjected to a high fine and imprisonment. We were told that the process would probably take an hour and we left saying that we would be back in one hour.El Khadr- very busy, no soldiers..the new dirt pile is really difficult to climb. The market has expanded to fill what was once a road leading to the first pile.Biet Jala--traffic flowingBethlehem CP 300-- Very tidy with a new road. A pleasant and truely friendly CP commander approached us with the usual spiel and seemed ready to chat for a long time, but there was a long line of cars and they were not being checked when he was talking to us, so we left. He was eager to tell us that he tries hard to be decent to the people...those who work in Jerusalem and live in BEthlehem.Hebron Rd.--We returned to the detainees one and half hours after we left them there and they were still there...some were the same that we left and others were new. The woman was still there. She looked frozen, but not as frightened. They were busy filling out the forms with the women BP who continued to be hostile to us. WE left, feeling that there was nothing we could do, just feeling sad that this is the world we live in...people are punished for trying to make a living.