Bethlehem Cp 300, El Khadr, ETzion CP and DCO, El ARub

Bethlehem, Tuesday December 7 2004, MorningObservers: Nava E., Diana H. (Reporting)6:40 - Bethlehem CP 300 - The border police (BP) man demands that we stay far, behind the Jerseys. There are almost no people and no cars in the CP. We went around, through the pedestrian path. There was a buldozer working behind the CP, and a large area is being prepared for some building. 7:20 - El Hader - Activity as usual. The coffee shop owner tells us two days ago the army came, closed both sides of the pass and told all shop owners in the shuk to go home. So they closed. Why? Do they need a reason. [I don't know if they need reasons, it's hard for me to believe the army does so many things without a good reason, maybe there is no good explanation... However, it appears they do it without reason, and that's what matters actually]8:00 - Etzion CP - deserted8:10 - El Arub - A military jeep stands in front of the pill-box. Taxis stop and go, passangers stop and go, appears like things are as usual. When we stop the car a soldier approaches us and asks if we need anything and not to stop there, unless we need to be there. We need to be here - then OK. The entrance to the camp underneath the pill-box is open (for a few weeks now). The soldiers say it's open for the last month and a half [?] and that the pill-box is always manned. 8:40 - Etzion DCO - not many people waiting, most of them for magnetic cards. One young man is rejected because his ID card is a little torn. We talk to Azhar, he says to tell the young man to go back in, and then he's told to come back in a month - we've only done harm in this case. The policeman came in time.[There was a very nervous reaction of all the soldiers to my taking pictures, almost a small scandal. I am told we"re not allowed to take pictures, it's a military base. It really bothered many of the soldiers, as far as calling the spokesperson office to ask for instructions. I stopped taking pics. long before they calmed] 9:40 - Etzion CP - manned, no detainees.