Improvement in favor of the occupation

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Observers: 
Chana Stein)translator), Ronit Dahan-Ramati (reporting and pictures)
Nov-20-2019
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Morning

11.15. The parking lot was not altogether full. The road-building work we saw last week has been completed.

The pillars have been painted and yellow gatesinfo-icon affixed to them. Next to them were some green fences which apparently will be used to block entry to a fenced-off area beyond the gates – which will result in a smaller parking area for the Palestinians.

Inside, the waiting-room was almost empty. 

A notice-board on the wall was covered by notices of “extension of orders of occupation[?] in the seam” in the Bethlehem area. There were so many notices that no space remained on the board and some were stuck on the wall. [Picture]

Although there were not many people, the ones we spoke to had numbers over 100, while the screen showing numbers for people waiting for magnetic cards showed the number 66. When we left, soon after 12, the number reached 79.

 We tried to understand the system by which people entered in relation to the numbers. While we were there a soldier summoned people according to numbers in batches of ten, speaking with them in both Hebrew and Arabic. People were admitted for various needs (although the number on the screen for permits remained at B510 the whole time). People were told that there was no policeman on duty; anyone needing the police should return in a few days. Those needing General Security should wait. Before we left numbers 111-120 were called in. Apparently people wait inside, but the screen in the waiting-room is updated only after each person has received a magnetic card.  If this is so, it means that there must be 40 people inside and, in that case, they admitted the last ten people towards 12 o’clock. It would seem that not all the soldiers go off on lunch-break at this hour.

Outside in the parking lot we noticed a car with large protest posters.

We left shortly after 12 o’clock.