Bethlehem (300)

5.15 – 6.45

At 5.15 there were streams of workers already on the pavements and coming through the checkpoint. So many that it was hard to make one’s way into the terminal. Most of the men hurried past, not meeting one’s eyes and if so just muttering how bad things were on the other side. One however did thrown out a  “a thank you rights” as he went past with a smile.  Until 6.45 less  than 10 women had come through.

The only incident worthy of notice   was a young man with his blind father/grandfather who was refused entrance because being under 16 he did not have an id or any other documents. I then noticed them coming through another window  but so did  the policeman. He took them aside to question them quietly and then allowed them to pass.

The security guard,  politely, told me I could not stand there and when I said we had been doing so for years, he phoned and came back to say that the police had said to stand on the other side of the door. I had to swallow a smile as it meant from moving from one corner where I could lean comfortable to the other and made absolutely no difference. I remained where I was and neither the policeman when he came out nor the other  three guards  were in any way unpleasant. None of them seemed to have any idea of what Machsomwatch was. I tried to explain but then their attention was caught by two young men.

The two were Hebrew  university students  from the Blue and White human rights giving out pamphlets in Arabic informing the Palestinians that  they are a human rights group offering to intercede for them with the security forces.