Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Wed 6.8.08, Morning
Nabi Unis.
A French tourist joined us on our tour. It wasn't his first time here and he highly appreciated our work. Everything was pleasant and interesting until we arrived at Rahel Checkpoint. The situation was very difficult and we suggested that Daniel (the guest) should go to the other side of the wall and take photos of what was happening on the other side. He did pass and we waited for him. After a while we noticed he wasn't coming back. We hadn't thought it through and forgot to give him our number and didn't tell him when to meet us back on our side. Eventually we decided to head on knowing that he wasn't a rooky and that he would find his way back. On the next day he called Rahel and told her he didn't appreciate it when he came back and found we were gone.
Rahel Checkpoint: What we though of in the past weeks as a positive change had proved to be nothing more then deception. Nothing had changed aside for the place where the pressure accumulates. Indeed there is a roof over the area with the bars, but us the gates open people run and squash each other to get to the passage. The soldiers hold educational segments for the Palestinians and detain them thank to the power they have as they are the ones with the weapon and the IDF uniforms. That is why people at the front walked slower and the inner hall is quieter. This time the anger was addressed to us, "what are you even doing here", "we have been waiting here for two hours and the constructor had already left", ect…
As we had waited for a long time for our French guest, we didn't go to El Nashnash. Nabi Unis: We found out that during the every morning a military vehicle appears to inspect the cars passing. The inspection takes place every day between 6 and 6:30.
Etzion DCL: There were again many people in side. It was a hot day and the air-condition wasn't working. The soldiers wouldn't allow people to enter before 8:00 and they had to wait on the road leading to the DCL.On of them decided to make a list of the people according to the time of their arrival. At 8:00 a soldier arrived and canceled the list, he allowed people to enter according to his own criterions. The elders, the sick and then the rest. That all nice and well but the others were frustrated as there was no consideration to the time they had been waiting.
Summery: We didn't witness anything new. We were frustrated and the Palestinians were angry and felt humiliated.