Bethlehem, Thu 3.9.09, Morning

5:35- Already many people outside. 5 checking posts are open and another one opens after 10 minutes. The queues are long and we have the impression that they move more slowly than usually. Towards 6:20, the soldier in booth 3, leaves his post and accompanies a man to the exit, probably whose admission was not allowed. The soldier does not return to the post and the people who stood at the queue and had not got any notice, kept waiting for long minutes till they disperse to the end of the other already long queues. After 20 minutes, the soldier returns and after another 10 minutes, he disappears again!! A blue policeman and the DCL representative are present at the checkpoint, see the people waiting and are completely indifferent. We address the DCL representative and ask where is the soldier. His answer "Should I know???!!!"

Another man waits beside a booth and tells us, that he has all the papers and every morning he has to wait, then after things are checked he is let inside. What is the problem? He does not know/ We a ask the female soldier, a nice one, she also does not know. The "not know" checkpoint!! Today, he had bad luck and was not allowed to enter.

At 7:00, when we leave there are many people still waiting to get into.