Bethlehem (300)

Naomi Gal translation

4 windows are open, there’s hardly any queue. The passage is not fast because of the requirement to press the finger on the biometric identifier ... Also in one of the windows a soldier reminds everyone they must show a magnetic card. He Indeed does so politely and even with a smile but he sends one person home to bring the magnetic card. To a comment about the amount of time wasted he responds: "I am sending him just because there is no pressure right now and he will not get stuck for a long time when he comes back.”

Other people who arrived without the magnetic card were not sent back, but were warned that next time they will have to go home and bring the card.

At the beginning of the shift a police officer came out from the inner rooms and bluntly and with great hostility commanded me to stand by the door and not inside the checkpoint, as we usually do. I tried to argue but he threatened to arrest me, to the soldiers who were nearby he said that he doesn’t want me to hear what he was saying to them. I moved a little farther and tried to call the DCO. One of the soldiers told him I was calling and he reacted very angrily and very loudly, so I won’t miss a word: “I don’t care if she calls her grandfather as well!"  
He went back into the inner rooms and I went back to my place, and then the courteous policeman, who turns the checkpoint to a place that’s almost bearable for Palestinians, came out and apologized for the behavior of the police officer, but said that he is the boss and I should stay away for at least some time.

Towards the end of the shift an ecumenical volunteer arrived and reported that only one sleeve is functioning on Bethlehem’s side, and that it took her 25 minutes to pass.

Many Palestinians began to arrive and the courteous policeman stood next to one of the windows and swiftly let Palestinians pass glimpsing their permits, and handling the various problems that arose and they all passed.

As long as there are checkpoints I wish we could duplicate him!

6:45 am

Most everyone has already passed through the CP.  Three checking stations are open with lines of ten to fifteen people each.  The checking goes very fast, about 6 seconds for each person.

 A woman tells us that only one machine for checking bags is open.  By 7:10am everyone has gone through the CP. 

One man asks us to help his brother to receive a permit.  We give him Sylvia's phone number.

Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300, 9:00 - 11:00 AM:

Naomi Gal (Translating)

Only two stations are open and most of the time a line of Palestinians is formed. Twice during the shift a police officer stood in the gate separating the two stations and swiftly let ting  the Palestinians pass after getting a glimps on their  permits.

The rest of the time they had to wait for the tedious checking by the computer and press their finger for the biometric checking.

An ecumenical volunteer said it took her 35 minutes to pass.

The second time the police officer decided to speed things up at the checkpoint there were 14 women (a group of English-speaking guided by Yael) who clearly witnessed this circus, the power-games of occupation and the absolute helplessness of the Palestinians. Hence the supposedly humanitarian act aimed to expedite the passage and skip the usual checking makes them completely redundant and highlights to what point they only serve to devastate the occupied.

Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300:

 

Naomi Gal (translating)

We asked the people crowding out on the sidewalks: how is it going today? The answer is - not well.

Inside the terminal it is packed, four windows are slowly operating. One group passes and then there is a break. And then again in comes a new wave of people. It seems that people cross in groups, which slows the pace. Odah, the police officer at the crossing enlists to assist with the checking. The officer tells us the number of people using the CP increased significantly because it includes people who bypass the Kalandia Checkpoint whenever it’s possible.

By 7:10 AM the crossing has been completed, and a total of 5,000 people had passed.

A pleasantly surprising meeting was when one of the passing women approached us and with a happy smile told us that her brother received a working permit and an entry to Israel. A few weeks ago she asked us to find a way to remove the prevention he had on entering Israel, and we referred her to the customary procedures.  It seems that Sylvia deserves the thanks.

Another woman said she had worked for a family in Jerusalem and they fired her without paying her compensation. We referred her to “Kav L’Oved” a Workers' Open Line in hopes it will be handled accordingly.

Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300:

Naomi Gal (Translating)

At 6:50 AM everyone has passed through.  No one is waiting to enter Jerusalem.  Five stations were open.  At one station a Policeman stands and glances at each person's permit as he enters. He is not required to press his finger for inspection. 

We were standing opposite station number three. When all the people had passed, the policeman came up to us to say that we should stand outside. We protested, but he said things had changed!  Since all had passed, we left the CP. One person asked for Sylvia's fax number.

9:00 to 10:50 
Naomi Gal translation

Three windows are open. Many Palestinians are passing but according to their reports the passing doesn’t take long: they say that there are not many people on the Palestinian side and that it takes about 15 minutes to pass. Towards the end of the shift an ecumenical volunteer passed and reported it took her 25 minutes.

A strange event at the beginning of the shift: an older woman passed along with two men, all of a sudden soldiers run toward her claiming she was not checked in the sleeve on the Palestinians side and had surpassed it (how is that possible?). They took her back, checked her and demanded her to return to the other side and go through the security check. Eventually she came back and crossed over to Jerusalem.

By the end of the shift: a 45 year old man presented his permit and was turned down. When I asked the soldier at the window why he was refused passage, the soldier said that the permit was no longer valid.  The man stood there between the windows, probably hoping for a miracle. A few minutes later, a security guard led him into an inner room. 5 minutes later the security guard came out apparently summoned by a soldier in window 1 and asked, "Where is the illegal guy?" They pointed at a disheveled young man 25 years old and led him through the same door to an inner room.

15 minutes later he came out with the two men, wagged his finger, rebuked them, and warned them lest they try again to infiltrate, and followed them to make sure they return to Bethlehem.

9:00 to 10:45

Translation: Neomi Gal

4 windows are open. Many people are passing today compared to last week. Perhaps the weather is more inviting, or maybe they are in a hurry to leave before the curfew of Memorial Day will again block them.

Every now and then a woman officer opens the gate between the two windows and swiftly moves people to reduce the queue.

At the windows, too, the passage is relatively quick although they insist on biometric identification by fingerprints and as usual the machine doesn’t always respond as expected. Besides, the soldiers repeatedly require the magnetic card but many leave it at home on Friday.

There is a feeling of "accommodating" the Palestinians this morning, including enabling the passage of groups of children. Only two people were sent back during the shift because they had no permit.

Naomi Gal (translating)

Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300, 9:00 to 10:40

Three windows are open, there are hardly any people crossing, the wind is blowing hard, it is really cold.

No child passed during the shift.

Apparently age-related limitations and the bad weather caused many people to give up today. Complete silence reigned at the checkpoint. This week, as well, the annoying game of the right hand / left hand on the biometric device went on, but there were just a few people so it didn’t cause any delays.

Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300 
 

Naomi Gal (translating)

Only two windows are open although quite a few people are waiting in line. 30 minutes into the shift they open another window.

The checking lasts for long moments, because at least in one of the windows there is a soldier who doesn’t concede and makes each and every one lay their finger on the biometric devise (fingerprint identification). The device slows down occasionally while transferring the required information to the screen and one has to press the finger time and again; often the soldier asks to use the other hand. The Palestinians are already making fun about it and when their turn arrives they ask:  "Right or left?" The soldier answers to most "right" but sometimes says “left" when the screen remains indifferent to the right finger and doesn’t allow the owner of the hand to pass.

There are not many kids but suddenly something happens: parents protest the refusal of the soldier to let their little girl pass (she is really small - two and a half years old). I approach the soldier and say: look, little kids always pass. On Fridays they require permits (on Friday people pass with prayer permits, unlike the rest of the week) only from age seven and sometimes from age five. 
The soldier says: just the opposite, it is forbidden to let children under 7 pass. He's courteous and smiling but convinced he's right. 
I laugh: you just got confused, I promise you that children under the age of 7 are passing today, please ask your commander.

Fortunately for the family an officer just walked out from one of the rooms inside and I ask him to talk to the soldier. He indeed explains the procedure and the family passes. I did one good thing today!  What Hagit called "small victories" in the magazine article about her in “Haaretz".

No special events the rest of the shift, but there is a constant stream of people and a comic ballet of fingers changing / racing on the biometric contraption.

Naomi Gal (translating)

[On the way to] Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300, the Old City: since Obama's visit to Bethlehem was intended for noon we thought it might be possible to approach the checkpoint. Already at the intersection there were many policemen, Border Guards, and a blockade.

I parked close to the monastery and walked up to the checkpoint. Just a few meters before the entrance to the checkpoint astonished policemen stopped me and could not comprehend how I got this far, how come I wasn’t stopped at the intersection.

They said there is no one at the checkpoint at this time, and that it has been closed since morning to Palestinians and to everyone else.  The checkpoint will be opened in the afternoon, at 16:00.

Back to the intersection - a lot of cars, apparently belonging to the American delegation, many policemen.

Driving to Damascus Gate - all the way many policemen and within the Old City multitude of Border Guards.