Bethlehem, Fri 3.4.09, Morning

09:00 - 10:30 AM, Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300:  half of the time we were at the Bethlehem checkpoint. We must stress that at no time voices were raised, there was no line waiting, two windows were open although few people passed. There were no problems with the machine. No one was sent back to the end of the line.

We indicated that in the last week the quietness is evident, one might nearly think that this is an innocent passage ... is this official policy?

Before 10:00 we traveled to Thalitha Kumi in order to deliver a cheque to a Palestinian who after 30 years of work in Israel was declared `forbidden'. He told us that it is difficult, especially as a father of three students whose studies he must finance. Before, his reasonable income was not enough, now he has great difficulties.