Bethlehem, Fri 7.8.09, Morning

Summary :

 -  If they don’t succeed in ejecting  us, at least they will ensure that we can’t sit down.

 -  Thosewho are responsible for maintaining the law are transgressing it.

 - Sylvia, Superstar.

09.00 – 11.00 AM, Bethlehem:   two inspection stations are open. Almost all the Palestinianspassed through, except for two who were told to return to the DCL to renewtheir finger-prints, and one who didn’t have the correct permit.

There are a number of largeflower-pots in the corridor of the checkpoint, where perhaps some flowers grewonce, but for months they contain only dry earth, together with cigarettebuts.  It is our habit sometimes to siton the edge of one of them, but today a female soldier came out, rather embarrassed,and asked us not to sit on the flower-pots because they are not there for thatpurpose. 

“who has given this instruction ?”

“It comes from the operations room”

Occasionally a small queuebuilt-up, mainly when Palestinians or tourists wanted to pass to Bethlehem and the trafficin both directions was via the same inspection-station. Only once, when a large group of touristsarrived, the barrier between two inspection-stations was opened and they werepassed through in record time, while their passports were only glanced at. For the rest of the time, they waited andsomehow squeezed between those coming from Bethlehem.  We thought that actually it would be a good thing if the tourists wereto experience the squeeze that the Palestinians are forced to endure every day. If only they would report on this in theirhome-countries and that there would be someone prepared to listen to them. 

Throughout most of the shiftthe corridor reeked of cigarette-smoke, which came from the security-guardsand  the soldiers who smoked near the entrance (and all the smoke came into the checkpoint). Today, one of them came out from the interior rooms with a cigarette in his hand and stood in the corridor, while leaning against the no-smoking sign, and smoked with all his might (or his ungs). This law, also, is only for the Palestinians.

A blind man arrived and wanted us to participate in his worries. He lives in Holland and comes to visit once every two years. Next Wednesday he is supposed to return to Holland,but:  “I don’t manage to cope with the confusion here and I’m afraid that they will make me problems at the airport”.  (Also someone who sees with both his eyes doesn’t  succeed to cope with the situation here). 

He asked us to contact himon Wednesday to check that everything is OK. He told us that a few years ago he asked Sylvia to help one of his friends and remembers her kind assistance.