Al Nashshash, Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Mon 24.11.08, Morning

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Observers: 
Idit S., Haya O. (reporting)
Nov-24-2008
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Morning

 6:45 AM, Bethlehem Checkpoint:  those coming out of the checkpoint were complaining that it was very crowded at the entrance to the checkpoint and that the passage was very slow. There were only four (out of six) open posts and 23 people were lined up in front of each post. As it usually happens during the past months- when you are inside the checkpoint you have no awareness to the amount of people crowded out side, hurrying to get to work.

They have a magnometer in each post now (the machine that checks finger prints). During the short time we were there, three people- who owned a permit and were in a hurry to get to work- were sent to Etzion DCL to renew their finger prints.

Why don't the have a machine for renewing the print in side the checkpoint? As we all know they have such a machine at Ben Gouryon airport, and it makes things go much faster.

Why do they have this machine at the DCL and not in the actual checkpoint?


7:15 AM, Hussan:
  we handed back and took new police documents. 

7:30 AM, Al Nashshash:  same procedure. A person that for the past year and a half had been trying to get Beit El to reimburse him 500 Shekels that the court had decided they owe him. We once paid this case many hours and found out that to this day it had not been closed.

From our experience it a hassle that requires one to dedicate many time if you wish to get a reimbursement from the staff officer at Beit El. We have already came across some people who didn't mange at all.
 

8:10 AM, Etzion DCL:  we arrived during the distribution of numbers. There were less people compared to the 200 there were during the past couple of weeks - perhaps only 140. Things went on rather neatly. The officer said that only those who came to renew their magnetic cards would be permitted to enter, and not those who were in need of a new card. The distribution was very quiet, even though it was preformed arbitrarily. They had handed out 90 (?) numbers, and have signed the rest as people who came on that morning and told them to return on the next day.

By then there were already ten people who came to renew their hand prints (those sent from Bethlehem checkpoint) and they too entered.

We spoke to one of them. He told us that on the previous day he had already renewed his Busma (hand prints) and even managed to get back to the checkpoint and make it to work. But that Busma didn't help him on that morning. He was told that he was prevented passage by the GSS. This declaration means that he won't be able to provide for his family.

In contrast to the past weeks- things were handled at the DCL without any problems. Perhaps if they put more chairs in the waiting room (there were only 12 chairs) and allow the Palestinians to sells drinks and bagels, this occupation might even be pleasant?


9:15 AM,   Beit Ummar:  we gave some advice regarding police issues.

9:30 AM, Nabi Yunis:  we pick up and handed back some police documents.

10:15 AM,  Etzion DCL:  we visited the DCL again.  Everything was alright there. As alright as an occupation came be.