Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Mon 2.2.09, Afternoon
12:00, Etzion DCL: around 20 asking for magnetic cards: “For an hour already no one has entered.” In the 50 minutes that we are there, four come out with magnetic cards.
A woman soldier resolves the enigma: “There’s a virus rampant, no manpower, only one soldier making magnetic cards and it is complicated.” Output is a card in 12.5 minutes, so people wait.A disabled man selling coffee surreptitiously says that Nevuani drove him away today, and threatened to bring the police to fine him 1500 shekels: “But how do I bring food to the children?” So he doesn’t sell coffee any more. And Hana B. got the official response: no business done at checkpoints…
Waiting for Shabak, at first we thought one but three more arrived. Now the Shabak not only summons by phone from home, but also invites applicants for magnetic cards or permits for a talk. Their ID cards are taken from them, and they wait.
Two waiting for a policeman – they had fines from 1999, but apparently there’s no obsolescence . We directed them to Chaya (who already knows the problem).
Beit Ummar: after returning from Beit Ummar (a break in shift that lets us see who has gone in, and who not) the two for the police said that next Sunday they can come and get the tickets to pay. The Palestinians don’t pay attention to the traffic laws, and often we get “heart attacks” when they overtake us on the white line.The people waiting for Shabak have gone in. Two remain, and five for magnetic cards – we hoped they would be dealt with even after we leave.We left at 14:30. Apart from all that, and for documentation, I dealt with medical certificates that came from a lawyer (end of days – MachsomWatch helps lawyers get entry permits for medical treatment for their clients – look what we have got to), and another one applied today and will be dealt with tomorrow.The frame of mind of people we met is still dismal – and the scenes from Gaza don’t help. .