Ezyon DCO, el Khader, Beit Jala, Wallje, Bethlehem CP 300

Bethlehem and vacinity:Wednesday Jan. 19,05 PMObservers: Tami B., Laura S., Daniela G. (reporting)DCO Etzyon – 15:15: About 6 people in the shed and none by the windows. We met four people who encounter endless obstacles when trying to go places and do things we do daily without even having to think about it. 1. Two men are waiting for a permit on behalf of a sick child who has recently undergone brain surgery. One of them is very angry, saying that if they gave them a permit for one day only again, he would tear it up and throw it in their faces. He couldn’t get through to the soldiers at the window, he said, they just won’t listen. 10 minutes later he got a permit for a week (!) and was so content with this mighty achievement. 2. Another man showed us a note saying his request was denied and according to the new procedure, it also gave the details of the pending police file against him. He claims his lawyer told him it was closed. There was nothing we could do for him besides suggesting he go back to the lawyer. 3. A man wanted to travel to Italy for medical treatment and all he had was a note from a Palestinian doctor saying he was sick. There was not much we could do for him either except to suggest he ask the hospital in Italy to provide him with some kind of verification that he was headed there. 4. The fourth person we failed to assist was a man whose work-permit was waiting inside the DCO where only Israelis could enter. One of us tried to go in but it turned out that only his employer could receive it. El Kahdre – 16:00: The usual hustle and bustle. As we were leaving an army jeep climbed to the strange observation point on the hill.Beit Jalla CP – 16:15: An unusually long line northbound. Some drivers said they had been waiting for two hours and only when we arrived things started moving. The soldiers claimed that it was the drivers who had fought among themselves preventing each others going forward. They checked passengers IDs at random and seemed very cold and forlorn in the pouring rain.Wallage – 16:45: We drove through looking for the recently demolished houses, were told they were further down the hill but at some point turned back not knowing if we were allowed to be there at all.Bethlehem CP – 17:00: The GSS shed is unoccupied, very few vehicles in both directions, the soldiers take their usual long time checking.