Etzion DCL

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.

We have had only one hour, that's why we're focused on the DCO Etzion alone. There was not much to do. 5 - 6 cars with Palestinian plates parked in the car park what indicates that the soldiers had something to do anyway, but we did hardly saw an applicants.

on the wall in the waitingroom was a new instructions note in Arabic:
 

the DCO would be open:

Sunday 8-12

Monday 8-17

Tuesday closed

Wednesday 8-17

Thursday 8-12

 a few gentlemen arrived, welcomed us in peace and disappeared behind the counter.  No one had to wait.

Etzion DCL:       

Naomi Gal  (translating)

 14.00 PM.Only one car was parked in the parking lot. The waiting room was empty. A young man who got a an entrance permit to a hospital in Jerusalem came out and following him was a man about 35 years old who looked desperate. He complained that at the checkpoint they took his permit, a commercial permit, without explaining why they took it, nor what is he supposed to do or where can he get it back. He tried to find out at different locations and failed. He went to Jericho and to Hebron and everywhere they told him they do not have time to check his problem. Meanwhile, he loses working days and does not know what to do and whom to contact. Shlomit called officer R. who promised to find out and get back to us. As usual, she kept her word. A short time later she called and explained how and where he could get his permit.

A young man approached us and said he is prevented by the GSS and that he worked in Israel without a permit. During his work he was wounded in the leg and he wants to get treatment in a hospital in Jerusalem, but does not know what to do in order to get a permit to enter Israel. We advised him to bring certain documents and come back to the DCL.

This time the parking place was occupied with Palestinian cars, among them an impressing Mercedes 300. Most of the inmates were already in the office. An exception was a little boy, proudly behind the steering wheel and using the horn for me. His mother sat besides him.

In the waiting hall only two  Arabic speaking gentlemen  were sitting. They were waiting for a friend.

There was a polite female soldier . She was asking if she could help me what I negated as friendly as she spoke.

Then came a "case". A younger man , tall, Hebro speaking, with a complicated Hebro letter from the Israeli police in his hands. In the letter he was invited for a day in March. He told us, that nobody had been there . Somebody had told him he should turn to Chaja Ofek and had given her number. He also got informed that there should be a session in the court.

The man had already a permit for going to Israel.  If he needed a second one or a new one - Idid not understand.

AnywAY-    he left us and came back, happily. After he had told the soldiers that he was already in touch with Chaja they had cancelled the letter.

On our way back we were passing Beit Humar (a lot of people on both sides of road 60 but quiet )

and turning in the street to Karne Zur. Return via Herodion, har Huma.

Translation  Naomi  Gal

12:25 a concerned man approached us and said that his seven-year-old son is sick and was invited for medical treatment in a hospital in Germany. He asked for a permit to fly with his son to Germany from Ben-Gurion Airport and brought with him all the necessary documents. But when he entered the DCO, they sent him outside with no regard to his request. Before that they sent him from the Palestinian DCO to Etzion DCO and from Etzion back to the Palestinian DCO. He was again sent to Etzion and when he came today they refused to attend to him. We spoke with officer R. who summoned him to enter and leave the documents with her, and promised to take care of his case so that he’ll get a permit.

A young man told us that he and his wife were summoned for fertility treatments at a hospital in Jerusalem, but only the wife received an entry permit. First, they both received a permit for one day, although the hospital summoned them for a whole month. After a talk with officer R. they were both invited in again, but only the wife got a permit for a month. After a further talk with R. the husband as well received a permit for a month.

An elderly man, whose son was injured in an accident and was hospitalized in Jerusalem, said he wanted an entry permit to take care of his son, but did not get one since he is prevented by the General Security Services. R. said that the request will be passed on to the GSS and after a checking he will get a permit.

A man whose family member was arrested while he was working in Israel without a permit, complained that he doesn’t know where his relative is detained. We referred him to Etzion Police Station. They told him that the detainee is in the Etzion Detention House and that his trial will takes place on Sunday in the courtroom at Ofer.

The family was not informed about the trial.

Naomi Gal translatio

Etzion DCL, 14:10 PM: out of the DCL surges an old man looking puzzled. He says that he received an entry permit to Jerusalem to undergo surgery at St John Hospital and a permit for one of his two sons to accompany him, but it turned out that this son could not accompany him, so he asked for a permit for the other son. They refused. Without even explaining why. Shlomit spoke with officer R. who is always willing to help. The man was ushered in again and after a short while came out satisfied.  The son got a permit.

Young Christians asked for entry permits at Easter and did not get them. We inquired and were told that a representative of the church must call and ask for their permits. They called the representative, he spoke with a person at the DCL and the permits were granted.

An older man addressed us complaining that his equipment for building roads was confiscated. He worked on building a road funded by international donors given to one of the municipalities. For three weeks he has been trying to get the equipment back, to no avail. His lawyer’s appeals didn’t help either.

Palestinians we met told that this past week a thousand olive trees belonging to residents of a village near Gush Etzion were destroyed.

__._, _.___

Naomi Gal translatio

Etzion DCL, 14:10 PM: out of the DCL surges an old man looking puzzled. He says that he received an entry permit to Jerusalem to undergo surgery at St John Hospital and a permit for one of his two sons to accompany him, but it turned out that this son could not accompany him, so he asked for a permit for the other son. They refused. Without even explaining why. Shlomit spoke with officer R. who is always willing to help. The man was ushered in again and after a short while came out satisfied.  The son got a permit.

Young Christians asked for entry permits at Easter and did not get them. We inquired and were told that a representative of the church must call and ask for their permits. They called the representative, he spoke with a person at the DCL and the permits were granted.

An older man addressed us complaining that his equipment for building roads was confiscated. He worked on building a road funded by international donors given to one of the municipalities. For three weeks he has been trying to get the equipment back, to no avail. His lawyer’s appeals didn’t help either.

Palestinians we met told that this past week a thousand olive trees belonging to residents of a village near Gush Etzion were destroyed.

__._, _.___

1:30. PM till 4 PM

Etzion DCL: at our arrival there were only three Palestinian cars parked on the big parking space.

The inmates were already in the offices. Little by little more applicants dropped into the waiting hall. Until we left there were entering about 15 people. More young people than old, more men than women were waiting to enter. Each of them was let in without hesitation.

At the wall was fixed some instruction that Etzion DCL was only in charge for issuing magnetic cards.                

7.30 – 10.30 a.m.
ONE PERSON WAS DENIED ENTRY UNTIL THE YEAR 2101  !!

Among the ”routine”  cases of men trying to appeal  their bans on entry , bans placed either by  the police or by Security  - each “routine case” implying a family breadwinner being unable to provide for his family, sometimes for years, or a young unemployed man getting more and more bitter – we met outside the DCO a particularly outrageous  instance.  A young man came out of the office with a form stating that he was refused entry to Israel until 2101 Could this be so? Or is it a mistake?

CHANGES IN THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PAYING TRAFFIC FINES
We were informed that the rules have once again been changed and now fines incurred in the West Bank cannot be paid in Israel  (so the custom  we had of Chaya’s  paying fines  at a Jerusalem post office on behalf of Palestinians who were banned from entering  would have to stop).  The  authorities told us that Palestinians should pay at Palestinian banks – but we know that many  Palestinian banks refuse to accept these payments ( perhaps because it is collaborating with the Israeli occupation?), or they can pay at post offices in settlements.  But here too, many Palestinians are not allowed entry.  In the past, they often had to entrust money to some stranger  to pay for them, only to find that their money had vanished.
Not only does this restriction cause inconvenience but, as we know, any delay in paying a fine leads to an increase in the fine, so this is another way of adding to the financial burden of the locals (and to the coffers of the Occupation?).
Recently, we reported the case of a man who was accused, a few months ago, of stealing a television set.  (The whole family was woken up in the middle of the night, the house searched, and the set confiscated.) He was cleared of the accusation in court but had paid a 2,500 shekel  deposit (bail?).  Since then  he has been sent back and forth between Ofer and Hebron trying to get his money back.  Now it transpires that the money is in the Jerusalem Court and it is only a lawyer who can redeem it for him.  MW has arranged this but there go 800 of his 2,500 shekels!

POLICE POCKETING MONEY?   Last week I did not manage to write a report, but this is worth noting.  A young man told us that he and a friend had each paid 30 shekels to a police man at the police station of Kiryat Arba, in order to get a Teudat Yosher (a printout of  one’s police record).  This, as we know, is supposed to be free of charge so presumably the policeman was trying to line his pocket.
[ Not part of this report] Also, last Tuesday afternoon, people arriving for magnetic cards at Etzion DCL found there were no soldiers and we could get no answer on the phone because, according to the soldier at the window of the waiting-room, the soldiers were away on a tiyul. (He himself had only come on duty in the afternoon, so did not know what conditions were in the morning.)
     

Yael Bassis-Student (translating)

Ezion DCL, 14:00 PM:   only a single car parked at the car park.

Occasionally people came requesting passage permits. All were treated immediately receiving the permits.

One woman told us that she had a permit that allowed her to come and pray every Friday for three months. Now she's requesting to extend the permit but was refused and was sent to the Palestinian DCL.