Bethlehem, Fri 17.7.09, Morning
Summary : There is a new checkpoint commander; all the rules of the game are new and the written permission we have (to be in the area of the checkpoint) is ridiculed.
09.00 - 10.30 AM, Bethlehem - Checkpoint 300:
two inspection positions are open. In the first one is a soldier whose voice isn’t raised during the whole shift. Two female soldiers operate the second one, and we hear their shouts immediately as we arrive. We see a young Palestinian who is waiting and leaning against the wall on the Jerusalem side of the checkpoint. A soldier describes him as an unlawful intruder. We draw closer and ask the female soldier, quietly and un-provocatively “why are you shouting ?”
“You are forbidden to speak to me !’ she answers aggressively. Within a few minutes, the checkpoint commander comes out to us. We remember him negatively from six months ago, and also recall that during the intervening period the checkpoint has been very quiet and the injustice of the occupation has been conducted relatively smoothly.
“You are forbidden to be here, and you are interfering with the work. Please leave immediately” he tells us. “We are not interfering, and we are doing our job, as we do every week” we answer.
“You interfered with the female soldiers’ work and you are forbidden to be here” he repeats. “We didn’t interfere with her work, and we just asked her why she shouts. We are allowed to be here and here is our written permission from the army spokesman’s department”. He completely ignores the document that we try to show him, and says “Now, I am the commander here, and of the whole area, and I decide that you are forbidden to be here. You can complain about me if you want”. He shows us his tag with his name and number : Menashe Naftali, 1094911.
We stand near the entrance and try to phone Roni, a policeman who until now has been able to help us, but he explains that he is no longer in charge of this area. Other attempts to speak to someone don’t succeed. In the meantime, Palestinians pass through the checkpoint in both directions. The finger-print machine is showing signs of fatigue and some of the Palestinians have to place their hands on it again and again. Two female soldiers operate the second inspection station for people traveling as usual from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and they also open the other direction for tourists.
The checkpoint commander returns to us accompanied by a soldier, and demands our personal details. Efrat is not prepared to do this and chooses to draw away. I argue with him because he sticks to his version that we interfered with “the work of the female soldiers” . However, his threat to detain me for 24 hours persuades me to give him my details.
I wish to lodge a complaint against the commander on the grounds that he is not acting according to the directives of the organization in which he serves. Please advise me how to proceed.
An elderly Palestinian arrives from Bethlehem. He explains that he hasn’t got his ID card because he submitted an application for renewal and he was given a temporary permit – a page with his ID number and his photograph printed on it. The female soldier doesn’t allow him to pass and sends him back to Bethehem.
The female soldier addresses me through the loudspeaker: didn’t you hear that you are forbidden to be here ? If you don’t leave I shall call for a security guard to eject you ( I am standing at the entry-gate).
Two female soldiers demonstrate great pleasure from the situation, they joke with the tourists and even with some of the Palestinians. “take off your glasses ! " (he takes them off) . "Oh, now we can see your beautiful eyes !”.
Three Palestinians are sent back to Bethlehem. It is impossible to operate like this, because one can’t hear from the gate what the female soldiers are saying and one cannot talk to the Palestinians.